UK: Labour MP Suspended After Attack Captured on CCTV

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Oct 28, 2024

Above: Mike Amesbury, formerly a Labour MP, speaks during a rally in 2021. Image copyright: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Contributor via Getty Imagesstory last updated Oct 29

The Facts

A British politician has been suspended from the ruling Labour Party after CCTV footage appeared to show him punch a man to the ground over the weekend.
The footage, first obtained by the Daily Mail, appeared to show Mike Amesbury — the MP for Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire — strike a man in the head, before swinging six more times while the man lay on the ground. It took place in the town of Frodsham in the early hours of Saturday.

The Spin

Narrative A

Shocking CCTV footage has exposed completely unacceptable behavior from a politician who initially attempted to twist the incident into an account of self-defense. Amesbury is not fit to be an MP and should, without question, resign from his position immediately.

LBC

Narrative B

Personal accounts present Amesbury as a kind-hearted man who reacted badly following consistent threatening and abusive behavior by a member of the public. While Amesbury's behavior was wrong, a long history of deadly attacks against UK politicians must be acknowledged when attempting to understand why an MP would respond in this way.