Mike Amesbury, suspended Labour MP

He is an Independent MP

Don't let the truth get in the way Annie.

True, he is an independent MP

RosieandherMaw

This is ridiculous and makes me very
The suspended Labour MP jailed for 10 weeks after punching a man in the street will receive full pay while in prison .
Mike Amesbury, 55, will continue to collect his £91,346 taxpayer-funded salary despite his criminal conviction as he is technically still a serving MP
Amesbury, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail on Monday after admitting to the assault of a 45-year-old man in Frodsham, Cheshire, in a “drunken brawl” last October
Had he been sentenced to more than a year in prison, Amesbury would have been ousted as an MP automatically and a by-election would have been triggered .
However, because he has been jailed for 10 weeks, he will remain in his seat as an independent MP
His constituents could vote to recall him, but only once any appeals have been exhausted.

I share your anger.
He should be out on his ear straight away.
Before the GE, Labour would have been on their soapbox shouting for Amesbury's sacking but now Starmer drags his heels just as the Tories did.

He is an independent MP

I looked up the conditions for Recall and it seems the only way is a public petition, ie puts the decision in the hands of those the electorate in his constituency.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/Recall%20Act%20-%20initial%20factsheet%20-%20amended%20April%202021.pdfz

This article lists past MP's who were subject to calls for recall and why, but only 2 were, others resigned.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/uk-parliament-mps-boris-johnson-owen-paterson-parliament-b1140382.html

Sarnia - the only way an mp can be ‘sacked’ is when their constituents act. Of course we hope his CLP is acting. Mine would be

Iam64

Sarnia - the only way an mp can be ‘sacked’ is when their constituents act. Of course we hope his CLP is acting. Mine would be

As RosieandherMaw quoted

His constituents could vote to recall him, but only once any appeals have been exhausted.

That could take ten weeks or more ☹

The Labour Party have made their position clear.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she wants to see jailed MP Mike Amesbury resign or face recall so that his constituents can have new representation as soon as possible

"I want to see him either obviously resign or face recall, and so that we can have a new MP in place," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3d8x3v2re8o

They are not dragging heels to avoid by election.

Anniebach

He is an Independent MP

Third line from the end Anniebach
I understand he is now an Independent MP having had the Labour whip withdrawn, so at the time of the offence/crime he was still a Labour MP

Yes at the time of the offence he was a labour MP, the O/P
speaks of him as a Labour MP now , this can only mess he was
allowed to remain a Labour MP ,

It isn't Starmer dragging his heels. Starmer has to work within the law and the rules of Parliament. Amesbury committed the offence in Ocotber 2024 and was immediately suspended from the party since when he has sat as an Independent.

The law says that someone is innocent until proven guilty. Now that he had been tried, found guilty and sentenced, the process to replace him will be set in motion.

Whatever you think of the system, Amesbury was elected by his constituents and they have a right to be represented somehow if only by staff of his constituency office for the time being.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1981

1 Disqualification of certain offenders for membership of the House of Commons.

A person found guilty of one or more offences (whether before or after the passing of this Act and whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere), and sentenced or ordered to be imprisoned or detained indefinitely or for more than one year, shall be disqualified for membership of the House of Commons while detained anywhere in the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland in pursuance of the sentence or order or while unlawfully at large at a time when he would otherwise be so detained.

The maximum sentence for common assault is six months.

I’m not defending what Amesbury did - just explaining the rules. It sounds like he might appeal anyway. This would be understandable as the judge handed down a higher penalty than his earlier comments had suggested he might.

Whatever the outcome of any appeal, Amesbury will be able to stand for Parliament again.

This:

erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/4562/expulsion/#footnote-item-5

silverbrooks

I am enjoying your well researched posts.

Thank you

Anniebach

Yes at the time of the offence he was a labour MP, the O/P
speaks of him as a Labour MP now , this can only mess he was
allowed to remain a Labour MP ,

No, if you read to the end I said
However, because he has been jailed for 10 weeks, he will remain in his seat as an independent MP
His constituents could vote to recall him, but only once any appeals have been exhausted
I have corrected this misreading already- feel free to check.
(He was suspended as a Labour MP)

So OP was perfectly correct

Apology please accept

Surely the key point is that Labour want him to resign as MP and soon.

He could only seek to appeal the sentence, not the conviction - quite apart from the dreadful evidence we have seen, he pleaded guilty. Application for leave to appeal must be lodged within 28 days.

Wow, all I can add is that I despair at the UK today if that ###!%! creature is an MP!
😒

I love dogs - I’m innocent way defending his violent behaviour but - prior to that shocking incident he had no history of his behaviour leading him into court.

We currently have a sitting MP, Reform MP James McMurdock, who was jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend in 2006.
Before he was elected as an MP, the investment banker had not publicly disclosed the conviction.

As he is now an Independent MP, who can deselected him?
Is it just the local constituency who have to get together? doubt that will happen. Anyone know?

Visgirl He can be recalled by his constituents. The BBC article linked to above says
"Under Parliamentary rules, a Westminster by-election can be forced if 10% of registered voters in the constituency of an MP jailed or given a suspended custodial sentence sign a petition calling for one.

"The recall process can only be triggered once all avenues of appeal against a custodial sentence have been exhausted."

Yvette Cooper is calling for him to resign partly because the whole recall process would take weeks.

Thanks for info MrsS 👍

He should do the honourable thing and fall on his sword!
We don't want people like him inveigeling his way into politics.
It's bad enough already.
Sling yer hook you obnoxious little man. 😗