MP Margaret Ferrier’s appeal urging voters not to trigger a by-election has been branded a “desperate plea”, as efforts to oust the Covid rule breaker from the House of Commons began.

From 9am on Tuesday, voters across her Rutherglen and Hamilton West consistency have six weeks to sign a petition to recall their MP from Westminster. If 10% of the electorate choose to do so – some 8,113 people out of 81,124 – a by-election will be triggered.

Despite pressure to resign from her seat since breaching coronavirus rules in 2020, Ms Ferrier remains the MP, now sitting as an independent.

She has urged voters not to sign the petition, saying in a 360-word statement on her website: “As an independent MP, my constituents are my top priority and always have been.”

But Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “I’m astonished Margaret Ferrier, in a desperate plea to constituents, is trying to hide the fact that she stood as an SNP MP. She let them down badly by her actions during Covid, and now she’s desperate to try to cling on to a seat.

“The truth is this constituency has not been well represented, as a result of that they need to elect somebody who will provide a fresh start.”

Ms Ferrier was suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days earlier this month, beginning the recall petition process.

Any by-election would be closely contested between Labour and the SNP, both of which have chosen prospective candidates for the seat.

Michael Shanks, the Labour candidate, said: “If you talk to people here you can sense the anger.”

He said Ms Ferrier’s actions were a “serious breach of the rules, reckless behaviour, at a time where people all across this constituency put their lives on hold”.

He added: “We didn’t get to see loved ones, they didn’t get to visit people in hospital. And that anger is just as strong as it was two years ago.”

The recall petition can be signed at Rutherglen Town Hall, and at six other places in the constituency.

If there is a by-election, it will not be long until voters go to the polls again in a general election expected next year.

Mr Shanks said it is “really important that for however long it is until a general election”, people in the constituency have an MP “focused on fighting for this community, not focused on fighting for their own job, which is what we have had now for so long”.

He added: “This is a chance for a fresh start, that’s what we will be putting forward as the Labour Party.”

The SNP candidate in the seat will be South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon.

She said: “Constituents in Rutherglen and Hamilton West have the opportunity to hold a by-election and elect an SNP MP who will stand up for them against this rotten Tory Government.

“The first step in that process will be to sign the recall petition.

“In the face of Tory economic incompetence and a Labour Party looking more and more like a Tory tribute act, the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West need a strong SNP voice to stand up for them.”

Ms Ferrier travelled from Scotland to Westminster after testing for Covid in September 2020 and went on to speak in the House of Commons while awaiting the results.

After the test confirmed she was positive for the virus, she took the train back to Scotland.