A NEW SNP MP has hit back at critics enraged at her crossing her fingers while taking the oath of allegiance to the King.
Lara Bird, who won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election for the SNP last week, had found herself under attack from right-wing commentators after sharing a video of her swearing in on social media.
The clip showed Bird say she was taking the oath “only so that I can serve the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry”, adding: “My first allegiance is, and always will be, the sovereign people of Scotland.”
The MP then crossed her fingers as she said: “I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to the law, so help me God.”
Today, I was officially sworn in at Parliament. I took this Oath in order to serve the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry - and declared that my loyalty will always be to the people of Scotland. It is a privilege to serve and represent our communities as your Member of… pic.twitter.com/GP3ersApdx
— Lara Bird SNP (@larabirdsnp) June 22, 2026
An article in The Spectator then targeted the SNP MP, calling her “attention-craving Lara Bird” and claiming she was behaving “like a petulant child”.
GB News commentator Leo Kearse levied a similar criticism, saying: “I just want to thank you for reinforcing stereotypes around Scottish nationalists being bitter, petulant children.”
Others claimed that the SNP MP was an “embarrassment” and “pathetic”, but some defended her as “refreshing” and urged her to “stay strong”.
Now, in a statement first reported by LBC, Bird has confirmed that she crossed her fingers deliberately and dismissed the criticism.
The SNP MP said: "On my first day in the job I wanted to make very clear that my true commitment and allegiance will always be to my constituents here and more widely to the people of Scotland.
"I made it clear in my campaign that I entered politics to serve my local community and my country and that's what I intend to do every single day that I am honoured to be elected to serve the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
"I'm not the first MP to have done this and I'm confident I won't be the last – it's pretty telling though that the Westminster establishment find it so offensive that a new MP would pledge allegiance to her constituents."
MPs who refuse to take the oath are barred from sitting in the Commons and a by-election should be held to replace them.
In 1997, The Independent reported that one MP had revealed – under condition of anonymity – that he had not said the oath required and so was technically an illegal MP.
At the same time, it was reported that Labour MP Tony Banks, a known republican, had smirked and crossed his fingers while taking the oath. Banks then became a minister in Tony Blair’s government, before being given a life peerage in 2005.
Steven Bonnar, a former SNP MP who is now the MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, in 2019 also crossed his fingers while being sworn in to the House of Commons.
