British MP charged with assault after clash in street
Charge of common assault authorized against Mike Amesbury.
LONDON — Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been charged with assault after CCTV footage appeared to show him punching a man in the street.
Amesbury, 55, was summoned to appear at a magistrates court to face a charge of assault, Cheshire Police said in a statement released Thursday.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorized a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.”
She added: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”
Video footage obtained by MailOnline appeared to show Amesbury punching a man repeatedly in an early-morning altercation in the town of Frodsham on Oct. 26.
Following the charge, Amesbury confirmed he would appear in court as a result of the “deeply regrettable” incident but could not comment further “given this is an ongoing case,” according to the BBC.
Amesbury is a member of parliament and had represented the governing Labour Party, although he has been suspended from Labour since the incident.
Rival party Reform UK has called on Amesbury to stand down as an MP and trigger a by-election in his Runcorn and Helsby seat. Reform came second in Amesbury’s constituency in the July general election, where he still enjoys a majority of almost 15,000.
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