British lawmaker suspended over viral video showing him punching man
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British lawmaker, Mike Amesbury, has been suspended from the governing Labour Party following a viral video showing him assaulting a man on the street.
Surveillance footage published by the Daily Mail on Sunday shows Amesbury striking a man in the face and continuing to assault him while on the ground shortly after the video of the altercation first surfaced on social media.
The UK police are investigating the incident which reportedly occurred on Friday night.
In response to the viral video, the Labour Party announced that Mr Amesbury had been suspended “pending an investigation.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the video of the incident as shocking, adding that Mr Amesbury had been suspended both from the party and the parliament.
“I have seen the video footage; it’s shocking,” said Mr Starmer.
“We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a member of parliament.”
Mr Amesbury, who has represented Cheshire in the House of Commons since 2017, following his suspension, now sits as an independent MP after losing the party whip.
In a statement made prior to the release of the additional footage, Mr Amesbury claimed he acted in self-defence as he felt threatened during an evening out with friends. He added that he had contacted Cheshire Police to report the incident.
Cheshire Police confirmed that a 55-year-old man had been interviewed under caution in relation to the incident and was subsequently released pending further inquiries.
Labour returned to power in July after a 14-year absence, winning 411 seats in a decisive victory. Since then, nine MPs have either had the whip removed or resigned from the party.
Amid public outrage over the viral video, the populist Reform UK party called for Mr Amesbury’s resignation and for a by-election in his constituency.
MPs who lose the whip may continue serving in the Commons, but a recall petition could be triggered if they receive a prison sentence
