Ex-Labour MP to face down over assault conviction

Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has stated he’ll stand down from parliament after being given a jail sentence for repeatedly punching a constituent.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP has instructed the NEWSTORN he’ll start the “statutory course of” of winding up his workplace earlier than resigning as an MP “as quickly as potential”.

His resignation will set off the primary by-election of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour authorities.

Amesbury was given a 10-week jail sentence, suspended for 2 years, after he admitted assaulting Paul Fellows.

In his first interview for the reason that sentencing, Amesbury stated he “regrets” attacking Mr Fellows “each second, day by day”.

However Amesbury instructed the NEWSTORN he would have tried to stay an MP – a job he stated was his “calling” – had he been given a lighter group sentence.

“I might have continued to serve my constituents, I used to be elected simply seven or eight months in the past,” he stated.

“And that might have been my intentions, if I used to be in a position to, to proceed.”

Underneath parliamentary guidelines, if an MP receives a custodial sentence, a “recall petition” is triggered.

If not less than 10% of his constituents had voted to take away Amesbury, a by-election would have been referred to as – doubtlessly ousting him as MP.

Requested about his future, Amesbury instructed the NEWSTORN: “I’ll step apart on the earliest alternative.

“I’ve obtained processes I have to undergo – there is a statutory course of by way of redundancies,” he stated.

Amesbury described the fallout from his courtroom case as “tough”, however stated he “owns” his mistake.

Amesbury defended persevering with to take his MP wages – regardless of not showing in a Home of Commons debates since video of him punching Mr Fellows first surfaced in October 2024.

He instructed the NEWSTORN he carried out casework for his constituents, even whereas behind bars.

“I truly picked up some casework in jail,” Amesbury stated, as his workplace supervisor forwarded on “correspondence”.

“Life would not cease as an MP,” he added.

Amesbury spent three nights in jail following his 10-week sentence being handed down at Chester Magistrates’ Court docket on 24 February.

Chester Crown Court docket later suspended his sentence, permitting him to serve his time in the neighborhood as a substitute of behind bars.

As a part of his suspended sentence, Amesbury should perform 200 hours of unpaid work, undertake an alcohol monitoring programme, go on an anger administration course and perform 20 days of rehabilitation work.

Campaigners had referred to as for Amesbury to be stripped of his wages throughout his trial and imprisonment.

The Impartial Parliament Requirements Authority (IPSA), which regulates MPs’ pay, stated the foundations imply that till a member is suspended because of a Home of Commons disciplinary process they have to be paid their wage.

Requested how he responded to individuals who would possibly suppose he had been handled evenly in having his sentence suspended, Amesbury stated he had been “punished accordingly”.

“I pleaded responsible on the earliest alternative by way of the legislation,” Amesbury stated.

He instructed the NEWSTORN he’s “going to lose the household house”, his livelihood and stroll away with a felony file.

“If folks suppose that is evenly, so be it.”

Video footage of the assault, performed in courtroom, confirmed Amesbury punching Mr Fellows within the head, knocking him to the bottom.

The politician then hit him not less than 5 extra occasions and swore at him.

Amesbury was then heard saying: “You will not threaten your MP once more, will you?”

The courtroom heard that Amesbury instructed the police he had been approached by a person “shouting and screaming”, and stated that, as a result of he was terrified and the opposite man’s “arms had been swinging”, he felt he had no possibility however to “defend” himself.

Regardless of the decide calling his feedback “a pack of lies”, Amesbury maintains he “felt threatened” by Mr Fellows.

Within the days main as much as the incident Amesbury stated he had been coping with demise threats and the affect of a stalker which raised his “nervousness ranges”.

Threats and abuse “make you on edge”, Amesbury stated, noting that two MPs – Jo Cox and Sir David Amess – had been murdered up to now decade.

“So, when somebody approached me at ten previous two within the morning it was fairly pure to be on edge and anxious – and I obtained it unsuitable,” he stated.

He stated he ought to have walked away, including: “I simply noticed purple – a second of insanity which I’ll remorse for the remainder of my life.”

He added he wish to apologise to Mr Fellows in individual, however held again because the authorized course of unfolded.

The NEWSTORN has additionally been involved with Mr Fellows.

Mr Fellows beforehand instructed the Mail on Sunday: “I’ve not had any form of private apology, something in both writing or making an attempt to contact me.

“I felt prefer it was simply purely for the media and the decide.”

In the identical interview, Mr Fellows stated Amesbury “may have killed me and deserves to be in jail”.