I’ll admit that, at times, I have reacted to a breaking news story without properly familiarising myself with all the details. I suspect I’m not alone in this. Twitter, in particular, is a platform that rewards extremes. If you’re not fast you’re last and it’s the fiercest and firmest opinions that usually garner the biggest response.

Having been caught out by knee-jerk tweeting before, I was mindful not to repeat mistakes of the past when Margaret Ferrier released her bombshell statement on Thursday.

Not least because at first glance, the scenario she laid out was so implausible – so beyond the realms of good sense – that I was sure I must have misread or misunderstood.

Margaret Ferrier is not the first public figure to disregard the coronavirus restrictions but hers is surely the most flagrant breach of them all.

As we travel through different stages of lockdown, the ever-evolving guidance has at times been difficult to keep up with. One of the things that makes Ferrier’s rule-breaking so egregious is that it was the fundamentals of the guidance that she chose to ignore. This was not merely a gaffe: she wasn’t caught out by some obscure bit of small print buried deep on the Scottish Government website.

With the exception of regular and diligent hand-washing, the requirement to stay home, book a test, and wait for the results if you have symptoms of coronavirus is perhaps the most well-known and understood of all the restrictions.

For reasons only known to Margaret Ferrier, she did not stay home when she found herself in that situation. She decided to travel to London. Then, after receiving a positive test result, she got on a train back to Scotland. In doing so, she put the health of others at risk and undermined the Scottish Government’s public health messaging.

As you would expect, days of furious commentary and calls for Margaret Ferrier to stand down followed her statement. Politicians from all parties, including her own, have condemned her irresponsibility. She has referred herself to the police for investigation and the Speaker of the House of Commons gave a furious TV interview in response to the news. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has withdrawn the party whip and the First Minister has described her actions as "reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible". She has also made it clear she believes Ferrier should resign as an MP.

The anger that this story has unleashed is as understandable as it is justified. Ordinary members of the public are following the rules and doing their bit to help with the national effort. Many have endured emotional and financial hardship for doing so.

As with Dominic Cummings before her, the Margaret Ferrier case provokes feelings of "us and them". High profile rule-breakers spread doubt and resentment at a time when a collective effort is our only salvation. Over recent days the question has been asked over and over again: why should we follow the rules if those at the top don’t bother?

This is a resigning matter for Margaret Ferrier, of that there is no doubt. She called on Dominic Cummings to resign when he broke the rules and she should hold herself to the same standard.

It is possible to condemn Ferrier’s behaviour and also recognise the great toll this sorry episode will have had on her personally. Her political career is over. Her friends and colleagues have publicly denounced her and the torrent of criticism directed towards her has been unrelenting and often abusive.

That’s not to say she is deserving of your sympathy or that this situation isn’t entirely one of her own making, but the eye of a storm is not a pleasant place to be. And she is riding out this storm in self-isolation while recovering from coronavirus.

There are those who want the SNP to expel Margaret Ferrier from the party without due process. Many think she should have resigned immediately. This is understandable, given the level of anger her actions have provoked, but it’s not always as simple as that.

As an MP, Ferrier has the jobs of her staff to consider, as well as her own. They will be feeling anxious while they wait, as the rest of us do, to see whether Margaret Ferrier will do the honourable thing and resign.

Politics is a brutal business and those that choose it as their career are aware of the pitfalls when they put themselves forward to represent their communities.

Some careers end in victory laps and tearful speeches. Others end in disgrace. She hasn’t resigned yet, but Margaret Ferrier ended hers the moment endangered others by deciding that the rules did not apply to her.

Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.