British lawmaker Mike Amesbury has been sentenced to 10 weeks in prison for a§§aulting a constituent after a night out, raising the possibility of a by-election that could test the governing Labour Party’s strength.
Amesbury, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Runcorn and Helsby, was suspended from Labour after CCTV footage captured him p¥nching a man multiple times in October. The 55-year-old initially claimed he acted in self-defense but later pleaded guilty to common a§§ault.
Prosecutors told Chester Magistrates’ Court that the altercation began when a member of the public confronted Amesbury in a taxi queue around 2 a.m. on October 26 regarding a local bridge closure. Amesbury responded by kn+cking the man to the ground and h+tting him at least five more times.
“You won’t thr£aten your MP again, will you? You f¥cking soft lad,” Amesbury allegedly told his victim.
His lawyer argued for a lighter sentence, citing remorse and an apology, but Judge Tan Ikram dismissed this, stating that “unprovoked dr¥nken behavior in the early hours in the streets is too serious to be dealt with by unpaid hours of work.”
Amesbury will serve 40% of his sentence in custody. Under parliamentary rules, he could be removed from office if enough constituents sign a petition calling for a new election—an outcome that could pose a challenge for Labour, which won the seat decisively in July.
Right-wing Reform UK, which has gained ground on Labour in recent polls, is already calling for Amesbury’s resignation. “We call on Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held,” said Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf.
