It’s never too long before Labour’s woes are back in the news. Now suspended MP Mike Amesbury has been summonsed to court to face an assault charge – after some rather shocking CCTV footage emerged a fortnight ago. The video appears to show the then-Labour politician speaking to a man at the side of a road, before throwing a punch at his victim. It was later reported that the bust-up had been the culmination of an ongoing dispute over the temporary closure of the Sutton Weaver swing bridge, and that frustration over cuts to the winter fuel payment also came up before the alleged assault took place. Talk about fighting for what you believe in, eh?
In a statement, the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division announced: ‘Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55. The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.’ For its part, a Cheshire Police spokesperson added:
Mike Amesbury MP, of Frodsham, Cheshire, has been summonsed to court to face the charge of section 39 assault. The 55-year-old is set to appear in magistrates’ court at a later date. The charge relates to reports of an assault on a 45-year-old man on Main Street, Frodsham, which was reported to police at 2.48am on Saturday 26 October.
Sir Keir Starmer suspended the Runcorn and Helsby MP from the party on 27 October after details of the incident emerged. A suspension of at least 10 sitting days triggers a recall petition, meaning the area looks likely to face a by-election. While Starmer’s army took 53 per cent of the vote share in the July poll, Reform UK pipped the Tories to second place with 18 per cent and Nigel Farage’s lot are eyeing up the constituency with interest. Could the party be in with a chance of securing a sixth Westminster seat? Stay tuned…
