A Labour MP caught on camera sucker punching a constituent in a late night brawl has been quizzed by police after he was also suspended by the party.
Shocking CCTV obtained by the Mail showed Mike Amesbury send the man to the floor with one punch before raining five further blows onto him in a seemingly unprovoked attack.
Amesbury, 55, had claimed he was ‘threatened’ before the attack at 2.15am on Saturday morning in his Cheshire constituency.
But while footage from a nearby business shows the two men exchanging words in the street, there appears to be no sign of aggression or physical provocation before the MP throws his first punch.
Tonight, on top of the suspension by his party and a police investigation, after he was ‘voluntarily interviewed under caution by police’, there were calls for Amesbury to step down or be barred from parliament.
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick told the Mail: ‘Labour said they’d smash the gangs – instead it looks like they’re smashing their constituents instead.
‘There is no way you can remain an MP if you’re beating up constituents after a night out.’
Suspending the Labour whip in the Commons, a 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.’
Footage of the incident first emerged in the hours after the fracas, showing Amesbury wagging a finger in the prone man’s face, shouting: ‘You won’t threaten me again, will you.’
A man’s voice can then be heard shouting twice: ‘The MP for Runcorn f***ing smacking someone on the floor.’
As another man tells Mr Amesbury to ‘leave it’, the MP walks away, before turning back and yelling: ‘Yes I am, yes I am… and you won’t ever threaten the MP ever again will you.’
At that point, it was unclear what had lead to the unedifying scenes.
But the video obtained by the Mail shone a new light on it, leading to a chorus of condemnation.
For 90 seconds ahead of the violence, the politician and the unnamed man were merely in what appears to be a heated conversation, with some finger pointing at one another.
It was being claimed tonight that the pair did not know each other prior to the incident in the centre of the Cheshire market town of Frodsham.
The apparent victim is stood with his hands in his pockets and has made no physical move towards Mr Amesbury when the politician suddenly hit him with a left-handed jab of such force his opponent was sent sprawling off the kerb and to the ground.
The CCTV footage then shows Amesbury bending over the man and throwing a barrage of at least more five punches. It is not clear how hard they connected.
Others milling about in the street were then alerted to the fracas and ran to stop it.
The MP had spent the evening at a meeting with residents, the local policing team and Cheshire’s Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price, to discuss ‘policing priorities and concerns’.
Jade Marsden, who stood against Amesbury for the Conservatives at the general election in July, said: ‘It’s disgusting to think someone like that beat me in an election. There’s no excuse for it whatsoever.
‘Regardless of what the person was saying, he should have thicker skin than to respond in such a way.
‘When the police have finished their investigation, he needs to be suspended by parliament so he can face a recall petition and a possible by-election.
‘I doubt any person will want that MP representing them.’
Both men made contact with the police and Amesbury was ‘voluntarily interviewed under caution’. He was later released pending further enquiries.
On Saturday he said he went to police to report that he had been ‘involved in an incident’ after he ‘felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends’ in his home town.
At his £685,000, five-bedroom detached home, his wife Amanda, 50, yesterday told reporters to ‘p*** off’.
Locals in his Runcorn and Helsby constituency aired their disgust at the video yesterday.
Mike Haller, 35, said: ‘If a member of the public punched someone repeatedly while on the floor, I’m sure they would be in a police cell by now.
‘It’s disgusting behaviour. There’s no excuse for his actions and he should be charged and jailed, if found guilty.
‘The fella on the floor is lucky people stepped in to help so quickly or it could have been much worse.’
Hilary Morgan, 44, said: ‘It is shocking. You can actually hear the punch connect with the man’s face.
‘He then continues punching the man while on the floor.’
Michael Garvey, a Labour councillor representing Frodsham and former police officer, declined to comment whether action should be taken against Mr Amesbury – but he added: ‘My understanding is neither Mr Amesbury nor the other person knew each other prior to the incident.
‘We have to be sensitive around this investigation because we have two sides involved. We’ve got to get to the bottom of what’s happened and it wouldn’t be right for me to comment.’
Mr Amesbury released a statement on Saturday, saying: ‘Last night, I was involved in an incident that took place after I felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends.
‘This morning, I contacted Cheshire police myself to report what happened during the incident.
‘I will not be making further public comment but will, of course, cooperate with any inquiries if required by Cheshire police.
‘I remain fully committed to working hard for the people of Runcorn and Helsby, and am determined to remain an open and accessible MP for our community.’
A Tory party spokesman said: ‘Mike Amesbury has questions to answer about his actions and it is right they are thoroughly investigated.’
A spokesman for Reform UK, which came second to Amesbury in July’s election, said: ‘The new footage of Mike Amesbury MP is damning.
‘No matter what verbal exchanges happened before, it’s never acceptable for anyone to resort to violence to solve a dispute, let alone a sitting Member of Parliament.
‘It’s quite clear that the people of Runcorn and Helsby deserve far better than this.
‘Reform UK are today calling for Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately so a by-election can be held.’
In the CCTV footage Mr Amesbury can been seen punching a man and then continuing to hit the person six times while he lay on the ground.
Meanwhile another video from the incident, filmed on a member of the public’s mobile phone, shows Mr Amesbury repeatedly hitting the man while another person appears to be attempting to push the MP away from the man.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: ‘A 55-year-old man has been voluntarily interviewed under caution by police in relation to this incident. He has since been released pending further enquiries.’
By James Marsden
Mike Amesbury has been in the Labour Party for nearly half a century – having joined at the age of 17.
He became an MP in 2017 and was initially viewed as a rising star with Sir Keir Starmer appointing him shadow minister for work, pensions and employment from July 2018 then shadow minister for housing and planning in April 2020.
But in 2022, the Manchester United and rugby league fan stepped back to focus on his constituents.
Mr Amesbury, who is married with a teenage son, briefly came back as Shadow minister for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government between September last year and May this year before returning to the backbenches.
Mr Amesbury, who graduated from the University of Bradford with a degree in community studies, became a councillor in his native Manchester in 2006.
He was later elected to the party’s policy making arm, the National Policy Forum (NPF), as well as serving as a policy adviser to Tameside Council, a director of a housing trust in Manchester and a director of the city’s international arts festival.
Prior to his parliamentary career, he worked as a careers adviser and was a senior parliamentary adviser for Angela Rayner when she was Shadow Secretary of State for Education.
And the politician also became a political adviser and stakeholder manager for Andy Burnham during his successful campaign to become mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017.
In March 2019, Mr Amesbury was forced to apologise for having shared an anti-Semitic caricature on Facebook in 2013 in a post referencing an ‘Illuminati’ conspiracy theory. He claimed at the time that he had not shared the post intentionally.
In 2018, his cockapoo dog, Corbyn, won a prize when MPs held a bring-your-dog-to-work day.
The pet won the ‘people’s vote’ accolade for best dog after an online vote open to the public.
After his dog was presented with the prize, he revealed his son came up with the name, adding: ‘I always find it entertaining when my wife shouts ‘Corbyn’ when he runs off the lead.’
The incident is major headache for Keir Starmer, coming just days before his Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to unveil major tax rises in Labour’s first Budget in 14 years.
National insurance contributions for employers will rise and the Chancellor is also expected to hike capital gains tax, close inheritance tax loopholes and extend a freeze on income tax thresholds.
But the Prime Minister has denied he misled voters when he pledged during the General Election campaign not to hit ‘working people’ with tax increases. He suggested last week that landlords and Britons with shares and savings do not qualify as ‘working people’.
The CCTV footage shows how Amesbury, 55, appeared to be talking in an animated fashion with the man before suddenly knocking him down with a left hook punch to his head.
It goes on to show the MP – a former member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet – trying to hit the man up to six times as he sat apparently helpless in the road, although it is unclear how many of his punches connected.
The security camera footage also features the MP being held back by onlookers, and admitting that he is the local MP, after shouting at the man: ‘You won’t ever threaten me again will you’.
The shocking recording was obtained exclusively by the Mail after Amesbury went to police to report that he had been ‘involved in an incident’ after he ‘felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends’.
The 55-year-old has been a member of the Labour party since the age of 17 and he became an MP in 2017. Keir Starmer appointed him shadow minister for housing and planning in April 2020 but he has since stepped back to focus on his constituents.
The confrontation began just before 2.15am, according to the timing on the video, in the high street of the market town of Frodsham, Cheshire.
The recording begins by showing the MP for Runcorn and Helsby exchanging words with a man in the town’s well-lit Main Street.
One of two women in the foreground with two men can be seen raising her mobile phone in the air while apparently filming the MP and another man a few yards away, suggesting that they were exchanging heated words.
At one point, Amesbury briefly raises his arm and points it at the man before making a finger wagging gesture back at him.
A few seconds later, the unidentified man nods his head and points back at the Labour backbencher who is standing in the street with his hands in his pockets.
Amesbury then wags his fingers at the man again and pushes his head forward as if making a forceful point while deep in conversation with him.
At 2.15am and 35 seconds, the MP suddenly lunges forward and delivers a left hook to the jaw of the man in the first physical contact between the pair.
The man appears stunned and is knocked over backwards by the blow, falling off the kerb and landing on the ground in a cobbled section of the road used for car parking.
Within a couple of seconds, the video shows Amesbury approach the man who was sitting on the ground. He then appears to take up to another five swings at him while a man rushes forward to try and calm the situation.
The video shows Amesbury with his back to the camera and the view partly obstructed by a street sign pole, making it impossible to see if all his punches connect with the other man.
As the incident unfolds, a woman can be heard murmuring, ‘Why are they’re fighting?’ while a man shouts, ‘Oy, oy, oy’ and a woman’s voice yells out: ‘Stop it, stop it, stop, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah.’
Two women and a man then rush over to help, as one of the women in a black sleeveless top appears to gesture Amesbury away.
As the MP stands aside, a man’s voice which is believed to be that of the alleged victim, says: ‘Call the police… Call the police… Oh my God, oh my God’.
The man who intervened is then shown walking over to Amesbury while one of the women asks the man: ‘You’re like grown men, what are you fighting for.’
But the man mumbles back: ‘I’m not a fighter’ as the women continue talking to him.
Around 20 seconds later, Amesbury then goes up to the man who is still sitting on the ground being comforted by the women, and shouts at him: ‘Don’t ever threaten me again. Don’t threaten me ever again.’
Two men then lead the MP away as he continues shouting: ‘Don’t threaten me, don’t threaten me.’
A few seconds later a woman can be heard saying: ‘Whatever he’s done, you get over there’, but Amesbury continues: ‘You won’t threaten me again, will you’.
As a woman shrieks, ‘Hey, No’, he marches up to the man for a second time, while twice shouting: ‘You won’t ever threaten me again will you’.
The video shows him wagging a finger once more in the man’s face as two of the three women at the scene gesture at him to get back.
A man’s voice can then be heard shouting twice: ‘The MP for Runcorn f***ing smacking someone on the floor.’
As another man tells Amesbury to ‘leave it’, the MP walks away, before turning back and yelling: ‘Yes I am, yes I am… and you won’t ever threaten the MP ever again will you.’
The woman in the black top then appears to recognise him, yelling: ‘He’s the local MP, Jono, get him on camera. Get him on camera Jono, he’s the local MP.’
She then adds: ‘You will never be MP again after tonight mate,’ before repeating five times: ‘You have just lost your job.’
As the confrontation draws to an end, Amesbury responds: ‘I am, I am, and you will never threaten me again…. Don’t threaten the MP. You will never do it again… You can’t do that… you can’t do that… f***ing threatening me… you can’t do it.’
Meanwhile a man’s voice cam be heard saying repeatedly: ‘The MP for gobsh**es’.
Amesbury lives with his wife Amanda, 50, and their 14-year-old son in a house in Frodsham which is thought to be worth £685,000.
He first became MP for Weaver Vale in 2017 before the Constituency was renamed as Runcorn and Helsby this year, and held four shadow ministerial positions when Labour were in opposition.
Amesbury who is a Manchester United fan with an interest in rugby league and indie music, was shadow minister for work, pensions and employment from July 2018 until April 2020 when he became shadow minister for housing, communities and local Government.
He had the same Shadow title after September 2021 in the new department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities until June 2022 when he stood down saying he couldn’t give role ‘the energy it demands’ and wanted to do more to help his constituents.
Amesbury came back as Shadow minister for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government between September last year and May this year.
Before his parliamentary career, he previously worked as a careers adviser and was a senior parliamentary adviser for Angela Rayner when she was Shadow Secretary of State for Education.
Amesbury, who graduated from the University of Bradford with a degree in community studies, was also a political adviser and stakeholder manager for Andy Burnham during his successful campaign to become mayor of Greater Manchester.
He was also a policy adviser to Tameside Council and a director of a housing trust in Manchester.
Amesbury joined the Labour Party as a 17-year-old before becoming a councillor in Manchester in 2006. He was later elected to the party’s policy making arm, the National Policy Forum (NPF).
He was forced to apologise in March 2019 for having shared an anti-Semitic caricature on Facebook in 2013 in a post referencing the ‘illuminati’ conspiracy theory. He claimed at the time that he had not shared the post ‘intentionally’.
Amesbury was re-elected as MP for Weaver Vale in the 2019 election, and again for Runcorn and Helsby this year.
It was revealed last year that he was a victim of stalking by part time chef Stephen Cowell, 56, who was found guilty of the offence after a trial at Chester magistrates court.
Cowell was given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and pay compensation of £500 to Amesbury in August last year. The MP said he would donate the compensation to charity.
A Labour party spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident that took place last night.
‘We understand that Mike Amesbury MP approached Cheshire police to report what happened this morning himself and that he will cooperate with any inquiries they have.’
Cheshire police previously said officers were called at 2.48am on Saturday to reports of an assault in Frodsham.
The force said: ‘A caller reported he had been assaulted by a man in Main Street. Inquiries are ongoing.’
A man who gave his name as Jono and said that he witnessed the incident told Sky News that he saw an altercation and ‘that’s when I got my phone out and started recording’.
He added: ‘It wasn’t nice to see… The lad fell to the floor, everyone was trying to help him. I recorded it because it did look serious.’
Jon said the MP ‘went off’ and ‘our taxi turned up then, so we went off’. He added that he didn’t see what hapend in the run up to the altercation.