Ex-Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan appeals sex assault conviction

Former Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan has formally appealed his conviction for child sexual assault.

Khan was found guilty last month of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008. He resigned more than three weeks later, entitling him to receive full pay for the month of April.

The former Conservative MP – the first Tory elected in Wakefield in more than 80 years when he won the seat in 2019 – was expelled by his party following the guilty verdict.

The Crown Prosecution Service says Khan's appeal will not impact his sentencing, which is scheduled for 23 May.

It could take several weeks for the Court of Appeal to make a decision on whether to grant Mr Khan a hearing.

Meanwhile, Labour have called on the Conservative Party to set a date for the by-election to elect a new Wakefield MP.

"The city has been without an MP for a year while Imran Ahmad Khan was on trial for sexually assaulting a teenage boy," said Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh.

"The by-election must be called immediately so the people of Wakefield can get back their voice in the House of Commons."

The by-election will be a challenge for both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Wakefield was one of the traditional Labour heartlands seats seized by the Tories in the 2019 general election.