Overview
- Lara Bird was sworn in at the House of Commons on Monday and prefaced the required oath by saying her “first allegiance is, and always will be, the sovereign people of Scotland,” and she appeared to cross her fingers during the recitation of the oath.
- Under Commons rules the oath or a secular affirmation pledging allegiance to King Charles must be made before an MP can take part in debates, vote, or receive pay, and Bird completed that formal requirement.
- The gesture and wording drew quick criticism on social media and from Conservative figures, including Paul Scully and James Cleverly, while the SNP defended Bird’s local ties and rejected attacks over her accent and conduct.
- Bird won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election with a majority of about 5,278 votes, and her swearing-in came alongside other by-election winners such as Conservative Douglas Lumsden in Aberdeen South.
- There are no reported legal consequences from the apparent finger crossing, but the episode highlights a recurring clash between symbolic protest by nationalist MPs and Westminster’s constitutional procedures and may prompt calls for closer scrutiny of oath-taking conduct.