Humza Yousaf has called for former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier to stand down after the House of Commons standards committee recommended she receives a 30-day suspension for breaching Covid rules.
Ferrier could now face a by-election if MPs vote for it and 10 per cent of her constituents sign a recall petition.
When asked if there should be a by-election after his first-ever First Minister's Questions, Yousaf said: "Yes, there should be. We've said from day one that Margaret Ferrier should have stepped down because of her reckless actions.
"So there should be and I look forward to fighting that by election."
Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Ferrier lost the SNP whip and received a criminal conviction after travelling from London to Glasgow by train while infected with Covid at the height of the pandemic.
She was given 270 hours of community service in September 2022 after pleading guilty to breaking Covid travel rules.
A by-election would be an the first electoral test for Yousaf since becoming First Minister. The SNP gained Rutherglen and Hamilton West from Labour in 2019.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn had already said that Ferrier should resign her seat.
He said: “I was clear at the time that Margaret Ferrier’s position in Parliament was untenable given her actions and this report reinforces those views.
“It’ll now be for the House of Commons to give Margaret Ferrier’s constituents the opportunity of a recall petition.”
Ferrier did a Covid on September 26, 2020 after showing Covid symptoms, including a cough.
While waiting for her results, she travelled in and around Glasgow as well as between Scotland and London.
The independent MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West also spoke in the Houses of Parliament and visited other locations in London.
She was suspended by the SNP in October 2020. Then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for her to resign at the time, but Ferrier refused to do so.
SNP MP Allan Dorans has been accused of 'closing ranks' by Labour after he voted against recommending the 30-day suspension.
He sided with three Tories who voted for a nine-day suspension instead. This is below the 10-day threshold which can spark a by-election.
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