Sir Keir Starmer calls Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury altercation video ‘shocking’
ITV Granada's Political Correspondent Líse McNally reports on the Prime Minister's response
Video footage that appears to show MP Mike Amesbury punching a man to the ground is “shocking”, Sir Keir Starmer said as he defended Labour’s decision to suspend him.
Speaking in Birmingham on Monday morning, the prime minister said the party had “moved very swiftly” to respond after the footage emerged over the weekend.
Mr Amesbury was suspended by the party and lost the Labour whip on Sunday.
It comes after a clip was published by MailOnline in which the Runcorn and Helsby MP is apparently seen punching a man as people nearby shout: “Stop it”.
Starmer sidestepped a question about whether Mr Amesbury should resign as an MP, but said: “I have seen the video footage, it’s shocking. We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a Member of Parliament.
“There is now a police investigation and in the circumstances you will appreciate there’s not much more I can say about that.”
People in his constituency had a mixed reaction to the video:
Cheshire Police confirmed a 55-year-old man had been voluntarily interviewed under caution in relation to the incident.
"He has since been released pending further inquiries," the force said.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
After footage was initially shared online, Mr Amesbury claimed he had been "threatened" during the incident and had rung police himself.
"Last night, I was involved in an incident that took place after I felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends," he said in a statement.
"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, co-operate 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."
Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode…