Labour suspends MP after CCTV appears to show him punching man

Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been suspended from the party and has had the whip withdrawn, after CCTV footage emerged appearing to show him punching a man to the ground.

In footage obtained by the Daily Mail, the Runcorn and Helsby MP is apparently seen continuing to hit the man as he lies in the street.

Cheshire Police said a 55-year-old man has been voluntarily interviewed under caution in relation to the incident and has since been released pending further enquiries.

Amesbury has been contacted for comment.

It comes after a different video, posted on X, purported to show Amesbury shouting and swearing at the man lying in the street in Frodsham, Cheshire.

A Labour party spokesman said: “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.”

He has also lost the Labour whip in the House of Commons.

It is not clear what happened in the build-up to the moments caught on film.

In the initial clip, Amesbury can be heard shouting: "You won't threaten the MP ever again, will you?"

In a statement issued before the Daily Mail footage emerged, Cheshire Police said: “At 02:48 BST on Saturday 26 October police were called to reports of an assault in Frodsham.

“A caller reported he had been assaulted by a man in Main Street. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Posting on his own Facebook page on Saturday, the 55-year-old backbencher said: "Last night I was involved in an incident that took place after I felt threatened following an evening out with friends.

"This morning I contacted Cheshire Police myself to report what happened.

"I will not be making any further public comment but will of course cooperate with any inquiries if required by Cheshire Police."

Asked on Sunday morning about the initial clip and police statement, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC: "The police are now investigating the matter.

"I think that it’s important they’re allowed to get on and do their job and there’s not much more I can say at this point."

A Conservative Party spokesman said Amesbury "has questions to answer about his actions", adding that it was "right they are thoroughly investigated".

A spokesperson for Reform UK - whose candidate came second behind Amesbury in July's general election - called for him to resign.

Former Conservative MP Dehenna Davison, whose father died from a single punch, called the CCTV footage "horrendous".

In a post on X, she said: "The police are investigating and I am sure the full facts will emerge soon.

"I have spent years working with One Punch UK to raise awareness of the dangers a single punch can cause.

"Such violence - whatever the background to the altercation - is never and should never be justified."

Amesbury has been a Labour MP in Cheshire since 2017 and served as a shadow minister between 2018 and 2024.

In the July general election he won his constituency with a majority of 14,696.

In July 2023, a 56-year-old man was found guilty of stalking and harassing Amesbury at his constituency office and in town.