Disgraced former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya struck off as solicitor after lying to avoid speeding conviction

Former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya has been struck off as a solicitor. Credit: PA

Disgraced former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya has been struck off as a solicitor for lying to avoid a speeding conviction.

The 35-year-old, who worked in commercial property law before her election to parliament in 2017, was jailed for perverting the course of justice last year by claiming someone else was driving her car.

A number of allegations were found proven by a misconduct tribunal on Tuesday, meaning she can no longer practise as a regulated solicitor.

Fiona Onasanya was an MP for the Labour Party. Credit: PA

Edward Nally, chairman of a three-member panel at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in central London, said: "As a parliamentarian makes the law so a solicitor must uphold the law and rule of law, and sadly in this case Ms Onasanya has failed in those duties.

"We must strike off Ms Onasanya from the roll of solicitors."

The tribunal found she acted dishonestly, failed to act with integrity and failed to behave in a way that maintains the trust the public places in her.

Mr Nally went on: "That conviction we are aware has led to disastrous consequences for Ms Onasanya both personally and professionally.

"As a solicitor there are professional consequences that follow from a proven act of dishonesty that has been found by a jury after trial."

The University of Hertfordshire graduate was also ordered to pay £6,562 to cover the costs of the prosecution by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Fiona Onasanya was also ordered to pay £6,562 to cover legal costs. Credit: PA

The SRA had originally applied for £22,762 after saying the case took 40 hours of preparation, but Mr Nally reduced it after saying he had "anxiety about the numbers of hours that have been claimed".

Ms Onasanya, who was removed from her Peterborough seat by constituents, served 28 days of a three-month prison sentence and continued to sit as an MP and receive her £77,379 salary, despite being expelled from the Labour Party.

She lost an appeal against her conviction in March.

In mitigation, Ms Onasanya had told the panel she was "pursuing avenues to clear my name", adding: "I maintain that I did not do an act tending or intending to pervert the course of public justice."

She also added the speeding incident did not have a "negative effect" on anybody.