Keir Starmer has described footage of Labour MP Mike Amesbury appearing to hit a man in a 3am clash on the street as “shocking”.
The Prime Minister said Labour “moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a Member of Parliament”. But he said he could not comment further on the matter due to an ongoing police investigation.
Mr Amesbury has been suspended after he was seen in a video appearing to hit the man in the face on Saturday. It also seems to show him hitting the man several times while on the ground. Cheshire Police are looking into the incident.
Asked by the Mirror whether the MP should resign, Mr Starmer said: “I’ve seen the video footage. It’s shocking. We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a Member of Parliament. There is now a police investigation and in the circumstances you’ll appreciate there’s not much more I can say about that.”
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Sky News)
The incident first came to light when mobile phone footage appeared to show the former shadow minister standing over a man who had been laid out on the pavement. The MP for Runcorn and Helsby seemed to be telling him: “You won’t ever threaten me again.”
New CCTV recordings, obtained by the Daily Mail, seem to show the backbencher throwing a punch at the man – although it’s not clear what sparked the incident. The pair’s conversation in the lead-up to the punch cannot be made out in the footage. It goes on to show the man being hit six times. A group of stunned onlookers are shown surrounding Mr Amesbury. One woman could be heard shouting: “You’re like grown men, what are you fighting for.”
As Mr Amesbury walks away from the scene, an onlooker points out he’s the MP for Runcorn. He turns around and approaches the man again, shouting: “Yes I am, and you won’t threaten the MP ever again, will you?”
After the fresh footage emerged, a Labour spokesman told The Mirror: “Mike Amesbury MP has been assisting Cheshire Police with their inquiries following an incident on Friday night. As these inquiries are now ongoing, the Labour Party has administratively suspended Mr Amesbury’s membership of the Labour Party pending an investigation.”
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Cheshire Police confirmed officers were called to reports of an attack in Frodsham at 2.48am and “inquiries are ongoing”.
On Saturday, Mr Amesbury said in a social media post: “Last night, I was involved in an incident that took place after I felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends. This morning, I contacted Cheshire Police myself to report what happened during the incident.
“I will not be making further public comment but will, of course, co-operate with any inquiries if required by Cheshire Police. I remain fully committed to working hard for the people of Runcorn and Helsby, and am determined to remain an open and accessible MP for our community.” The Mirror has contacted Mr Amesbury for comment.