Suspended MP Mike Amesbury has been kicked out the Labour Party after pleading guilty to assault by beating after punching a man in Cheshire in October.
It is understood the former Labour MP is no longer a member of the party. He was administratively suspended from the Labour party after a police investigation into the October incident was announced, which automatically removed the whip from him. It is now understood he will not get the whip back.
A court hearing today heard that the Runcorn and Helsby MP punched a 45-year-old man at least five times near a taxi rank after he had been drinking. He was heard saying “you won’t threaten your MP again will you” after initially punching his victim “to the head with enough force to knock him to the ground”. Amesbury later told reporters he was “sincerely sorry” to the victim and his family.
During the court session, prosecutor Alison Storey described how victim Paul Fellows was assaulted by Amesbury at about 2am on October 26 last year in Frodsham town centre. It was reported to police around 3am. Mr Fellow approached Amesbury, 55, at a taxi rank after recognising him as the local MP. He complained to the politician about a bridge closure in the town. The pair had previously been alone and had both been drinking.
Ms Storey told Chester Magistrates’ Court CCTV showed engagement between them over a period of several minutes, but no aggression or raised voices. She said: “At one point Mr Fellows started to walk away but was re-engaged by Mr Amesbury.” Amesbury was heard to say “what” a few times before shouting it, the court heard.
The prosecutor said Mr Fellows put his hands in his pockets and turned towards the taxi queue, but when he turned back Amesbury punched him to the head, knocking him to the ground. He followed him onto the road after he fell and started to punch him again, at least five times, she said.
Richard Derby, the defence lawyer, argued the assault was a “momentary incident”. He told the court: “Rightly or wrongly, Mr Amesbury interpreted what was being said as no longer a conversation but something to which he thought there was another motive to.” He set out security measures which Amesbury had in place and said a death threat was sent to his office in November.
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He added: “Whatever sanction this court will impose upon him, it’s not going to have the effect as what has already happened to him. The embarrassment he has suffered, the shame he has suffered, removing the whip from him, a person who has dedicated his life to the public.”
Amesbury was suspended from the Labour Party after footage emerged which appeared to show him punching a man in October. He now sits in Parliament as an Independent. It is understood he will not get the whip back.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “It is right that Mike Amesbury has taken responsibility for his unacceptable actions. He was rightly suspended by the Labour Party following the announcement of the police investigation. We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are still ongoing.”
Keir Starmer previously described the footage as “shocking”. Asked by the Mirror whether the MP should resign, the Prime Minister said in October: “I’ve seen the video footage. It’s shocking. We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a Member of Parliament. There is now a police investigation and in the circumstances you’ll appreciate there’s not much more I can say about that.”
Amesbury, 55, was summonsed to court to face a charge of section 39 assault after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29. He previously said he is “continuing to co-operate” with police following the “deeply regrettable” incident.
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