Disgraced former Labour MP Mike Amesbury who quit after punching a constituent said he was “disappointed” but “not surprised” by Reform’s by-election victory in his seat, adding that Labour’s backbenchers should urge leaders to “think again” on key issues.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Amesbury, who was first jailed and later given a suspended prison sentence after admitting the assault in a street in Frodsham, Cheshire, said he had never punched anyone before the incident in October.
The by-election held in his former seat in Runcorn and Helsby was won by Reform by just six votes last week.
Amesbury said he was “really disappointed” by the result but he was “not surprised”.
“I want this government to succeed but if they carry on making political mistakes, winter fuel’s an obvious one, but coming down the line is the personal independence payments,” he told the BBC.
“I would say, listen people on those backbenches, that this is now the time to say, you know, you’re not being disloyal.
“But say, ‘look, come on now’, to the leadership. ‘Just think again on this. If we’re serious about having two terms of a Labour government and transforming this country for the better, we’ve got to listen to the electorate and do the right thing.’”
He said: “Reform have been the beneficiaries, really, of some big political mistakes from the Labour government, and I sincerely hope that Keir (Starmer), the Labour Prime Minister and the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, not only listen, but learn and respond.”
Amesbury was jailed for 10 weeks in February but had his prison sentence suspended days later following a court appeal. He had spent three nights in HMP Altcourse.
Asked if the incident was about power, he said “no”, adding: “In the sense of, in the heat of the moment it wasn’t about power.
“Definitely not, at 10 past two in the morning that incident happened. Well, I can’t remember the last time I was out at 10 past two in the morning, I’m 55 (years old).
“It was just a series of mistakes and events that evening that’s changed my life.”
He said he was “shocked” to be jailed.
The former MP said: “It felt like a living nightmare. It was surreal. Almost felt like I was in some kind of outer body experience.”
