Mike Amesbury steps down from Labour following guilty plea for Frodsham assault

Mr Amesbury has admitted punching a man at a taxi rank in Frodsham. He has now resigned from the Labour Party

Labour MP Mike Amesbury has stepped down from the party after admitting to assault following an altercation in Cheshire last year.

The MP for Runcorn and Helsby, originally from Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man at a taxi rank in Frodsham. Chester Magistrates Court was told today (January 16) that Amesbury knocked Paul Fellows, 45, to the ground and struck him five additional times during the early hours of October 26, 2024, in an incident captured on video and circulated online.

Amesbury, 55, who served as a councillor in Manchester before his parliamentary career, expressed remorse for the 'highly regrettable' incident and offered his apologies to Mr Fellows and his family outside the courtroom. The Manchester Evening News reports that he has resigned from the Labour Party.

Following the emergence of the footage online, Amesbury was suspended by the Labour Party but continued to serve as an independent MP. He now faces the decision to resign from Parliament, which would trigger a by-election.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party stated: "It is right that Mike Amesbury has taken responsibility for his unacceptable actions. He was rightly suspended by the Labour Party following the announcement of the police investigation.

"We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are still ongoing."

Dressed in a grey suit, white shirt and red tie, Amesbury admitted to the charge of common assault against Mr Fellows in court. The court was informed that both men had been drinking prior to the incident at a taxi rank when Mr Fellows recognised the Runcorn and Helsby MP and confronted him about a bridge closure, to which Amesbury responded by saying 'it's nothing to do with me'.

The court heard that Amesbury then approached Mr Fellows and punched him in the face. CCTV evidence revealed that the pair had interacted for 'several minutes', and at one point Mr Amesbury could be heard shouting 'what?' multiple times.

Footage showed Mr Fellows falling to the ground after the punch, before Amesbury 'punched him again at least five times', according to the court. Mr Amesbury was heard to say: "Don't ever threaten me again... You won't threaten your MP again will you, you f***** soft lad."

Amesbury initially told police he acted in self-defence, but later retracted that claim, the court heard. Richard Derby, defending, said his client has experienced 'shame and embarrassment' since the incident and spoke of security threats the MP has had to deal with.

Amesbury, who was previously a Manchester councillor, has been a Cheshire MP since 2017. He currently serves as an independent MP for Runcorn and Helsby, after being 'administratively suspended' by Labour which resulted in the automatic removal of the whip.

It is believed that the Labour Party whip will not be reinstated and Amesbury has now resigned his membership from the Labour Party today (January 16).

Amesbury has been granted unconditional bail until February 24, when he is due to be sentenced.