Labor MP suspended after footage emerges of him hitting man

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Labor MP Mike Amesbury has been suspended from his party after a late-night row in which CCTV footage emerged showing him punching a man to the ground.

Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, on Sunday night approved the suspension of the Amesbury party whip after new footage of the incident emerged on Friday.

On video obtained by the Daily Mailthe MP for Runcorn and Helsby appears to continue to beat the man who is lying in the street. It is unclear what events led to the altercation.

The incident is likely to be a distraction for Starmer, who will deliver a speech on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s budget.

A Labor statement said Amesbury was assisting police with their inquiries, adding: “As these inquiries are now ongoing, the Labor Party has administratively suspended Mr Amesbury’s membership of the Labor Party pending the investigation.”

Amesbury wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday: “I was involved in an incident last night after I felt threatened after a night out with friends.

“This morning I contacted Cheshire Police myself to report what had happened. I will not be making any public comment but will of course co-operate with any inquiries if required by Cheshire Police.’

The the latest CCTV recordings comes after another video was posted on X, showing Amesbury shouting at a man lying in the street in Frodsham, Cheshire.

“You will never threaten a deputy again?” Amesbury can be heard yelling at the man. The context of the incident is not clear.

Cheshire Police said: “At 02:48 BST on Saturday 26 October, police received reports of an assault in Frodsham.

“The caller reported that a man attacked him on the main street. Investigative actions are ongoing,” the agency added.

Amesbury was first elected to Parliament in 2017 and won a majority of 14,696 votes at the general election in July. He was previously a shadow minister.