Margaret Ferrier's covid breach is embarrassing for Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon campaigning with Margaret Ferrier in November 2019

Five days a week, every week, Nicola Sturgeon appears on TV, taking questions about her coronavirus policies and urging every one of us to abide by the rules.

So for the MP who has committed the most egregious breach of the regulations - possibly of the law - to be one of her own is acutely embarrassing.

The SNP leader who has been quick to condemn others for breaking the rules has made no attempt to defend or excuse Margaret Ferrier.

• Who is Margaret Ferrier?

This is the first minister whose chief medical advisor resigned for breaking lockdown rules back in April and who demanded the sacking of the PM's chief advisor Dominic Cummings after he was accused of breaching the regulations.

She swiftly condemned Margaret Ferrier's behaviour as "utterly indefensible".

SNP MPs called publicly Ms Ferrier to resign and Nicola Sturgeon has spoken to her this morning and made clear that she should step down as an MP.

Margaret Ferrier has faced calls to stand down as an MP

But the problem for the SNP is that they cannot force the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West to leave her job.

They have already removed the party whip and suspended her from the SNP. But that is all they can do.

The SNP have been in a similar position before.

The former Finance Secretary Derek MacKay resigned from the Scottish cabinet after it was revealed that he had sent inappropriate messages to a 16-year-old boy on social media. But he is still an MSP and is still causing the party embarrassment

The SNP administration in Edinburgh have taken a consistently tough line on coronavirus regulations and on those who have been to found break them.

Margaret Ferrier's trip to London and back threatens to undermine much of that. The party will be hoping that she announces soon that she is no longer an MP.