Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting 45-year-old Paul Fellows in his Cheshire constituency.
The court heard that Amesbury, 55, “lost emotional control” and continued to punch Fellows even after he was on the ground, with only a bystander intervening to stop the attack.
The magistrate deemed an immediate custodial sentence necessary, citing the seriousness of the unprovoked drunken assault.
Following the sentencing, the Labour Party distanced itself from Amesbury, saying he was no longer affiliated with them. His conviction now opens the possibility of a recall petition, which could trigger a by-election if enough constituents demand his removal.
The sentence has ignited controversy, with critics pointing out significant discrepancies in the justice system.
Comparisons have been drawn to cases like Lucy Connolly, who received over two years in prison for an offensive social media post, and Peter Lynch, who was sentenced to two years and eight months for protesting before dying behind bars.
Public figures, including journalist Dan Wootton and Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf, have condemned what they see as a two-tier justice system under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arguing that harsher penalties are being imposed for speech-related offenses than for physical violence.
Calls for Amesbury to resign immediately have intensified, with many demanding urgent reforms to ensure sentencing is applied more consistently.
When elected Labour MP Mike Amesbury receives just 10 weeks in jail for physically assaulting a constituent, while Lucy Connolly gets 2 years and 7 months for posting and deleting a nasty tweet, we must seriously question our justice system. https://t.co/G5LxKTzKap pic.twitter.com/bDeqk21OUh
— Anna McGovern (@AnnaMcGovernUK) February 24, 2025
Labour MP Mike Amesbury gets 10 weeks in jail for assaulting a constituent in an unprovoked attack.
Peter Lynch got TWO YEARS & EIGHT MONTHS for protesting after the Southport Massacre before dying behind bars.
DO NOT TELL ME TWO TIER JUSTICE DOES NOT EXIST IN STARMER’S UK. pic.twitter.com/4M5OcgTAj2— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) February 24, 2025
