Mike Amesbury, suspended Labour MP

This explains it.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05089/

Delila

His sentence has been suspended for 2 years on appeal.

Will this make any difference?

eazybee

Yes I know, Casdon.
A clear case for changing the rules.
Voters are changing their allegiance to a party at the drop of a hat.

I’ve said for a long time that if an MP loses the party whip due to committing a crime, or defects to another party during the course of a parliament, there should be a by election. I don’t think what party they are from is relevant, it should be the same rule for everybody.

His sentence has been suspended for 2 years on appeal.

eazybee

It won't be the end of his career.
He clearly did not expect a custodial sentence, and is due to appeal today. He will probably serve only five weeks in prison, if sent, and his supporters will go into overdrive to get him re-elected, should the constituents force a by-election. He is a yob, but that appeals to certain people.

He will continue to stand as an independent MP, joining the increasing numbers on the back benches until the next election, and who can predict what will happen then.

What local supporters is the question? Not the local Labour Party.

AIBU to expect those who aspire to power (in the loosest sense) within society, who are in privileged positions and not infrequently stand to benefit personally but also in term of financial reward and status - that they should hold themselves to a higher standard ?
Answers on a postcard!

Yes I know, Casdon.
A clear case for changing the rules.
Voters are changing their allegiance to a party at the drop of a hat.

The rules of parliament allow people to stand though eazybee., his offence hasn’t disbarred him. There is already at least one other MP still supported within a party who has committed a similar offence. The different with Amesbury is that he won’t be supported by any party, he will be on his own. His supporters, if they exist, would have to fund a campaign to get him re-elected. I can’t see that happening, but if it does, he is very unlikely to win.

It won't be the end of his career.
He clearly did not expect a custodial sentence, and is due to appeal today. He will probably serve only five weeks in prison, if sent, and his supporters will go into overdrive to get him re-elected, should the constituents force a by-election. He is a yob, but that appeals to certain people.

He will continue to stand as an independent MP, joining the increasing numbers on the back benches until the next election, and who can predict what will happen then.

Ilovedogs22

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. 😗

Yes, but we already know he is not an honourable man, so, of course he will cling to his seat and the money.

Exactly love dogs. That’s what the party expect and he should do it

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. 😗

Thanks for info MrsS 👍

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Apology please accept

So OP was perfectly correct

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)

silverbrooks

I am enjoying your well researched posts.

Thank you

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