Dozens of Toriy MPs - including several allies of Boris Johnson - have been criticised after voting against suspending a shamed MP who was convicted of breaking Covid laws.
Today the Commons backed a 30-day ban for Margaret Ferrier, a move which could pave the way for her having to fight a by-election.
Ms Ferrier was kicked out of the SNP after it emerged she had travelled from London to Scotland despite testing positive for Covid during lockdown - earning her a criminal conviction.
But eyebrows were raised after a number of high-profile Tories, including two Government whips, a shadow minister and Jacob Rees-Mogg, were among 40 MPs to oppose the punishment.
The 32 Conservative MPs who tried to vote the suspension down included whips Joy Morrissey and Scott Mann, as well as Safeguarding Minister Sarah Dines.
Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant, who chairs the standards and privileges committee, told The Mirror: “I have no idea what was going through their minds.
"A Scottish court found her guilty of a serious offence and the Standards Committee found that she had lied and engaged in a pattern of behaviour that put others at risk.
"Her appeal was unambiguously rejected. I know some colleagues may have acted out of humane sympathy but I fear others simply don’t accept that MPs should be accountable for their actions.”
The list of Tories who opposed the suspension includes 11 who backed Mr Johnson's planned comeback in October after Liz Truss resigned, The Spectator points out.
They are Paul Bristow, Chris Chope, Richard Drax, Philip Hollobone, Edward Leigh, Mr Rees-Mogg, Henry Smith, Bob Stewart, Greg Smith, Bill Cash and Karl McCartney.
Former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who now represents the Reclaim Party, also voted to reject the motion, as did Alba Party MPs Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill, and the DUP MPs Gregory Campbell and Gavin Robinson.
Any MP who misses 10 sitting days due to suspension is at risk of a by-election - but 10% of voters in their constituency must sign a recall petition.
Scottish Labour candidate for Rutherglen and Hamilton West Michael Shanks said "This is welcome news for those of us who live here, but it is a disgrace that Margaret Ferrier has dragged this process out for so long, leaving her constituents unrepresented in Parliament.
"We've spoken to thousands of voters who feel let down by Margaret Ferrier's actions - people who made sacrifices during the pandemic and rightly expected their MP to do the same.
"The people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West deserve so much better than a rule-breaking MP."
The SNP also called for a by-election in the constituency.
The party's by-election campaign co-ordinator David Linden MP said: "There must now be a by-election, which the SNP has been calling for since Ms Ferrier's Covid rule-breach first came to light in 2020.
"People in Rutherglen and Hamilton West are paying an unacceptable price for the damaging policies of the Tories and pro-Brexit Labour Party, as the cost of living soars.
"The SNP is the only party offering a real alternative. We will put the cost of living, NHS and independence at the heart of our campaign - and we'll work hard for every vote to ensure the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West can elect a strong SNP MP to stand up for them."
