A British lawmaker has been suspended by the governing Labour Party after footage appeared to show him punching a man repeatedly on the street.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is weighing up whether to charge MP Mike Amesbury after CCTV footage emerged which appears to show him punching a man.
Subsequent surveillance footage, obtained by the Daily Mail newspaper and published Sunday, appears to show Amesbury talking to a man before punching him in the face and then attempting to strike him again repeatedly on the ground.
Mr Amesbury, who has not been arrested, voluntarily met with police after the footage emerged.The CPS confirmed it had received a file from Cheshire Police in relation to the incident after the MP was questioned.
Labour said Amesbury is assisting police with their inquiries, and that they have suspended the backbencher “pending an investigation.”
“I have seen the video footage, it’s shocking,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Monday. “We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a member of parliament.”
Video had surfaced Saturday on social media that appeared to show Amesbury berating a man in the street. Pointing his finger at the man, Amesbury yelled: “You won’t ever threaten me again, will you?”
Amesbury had said on social media Friday that he was attending a local meeting about policing and community safety.Amesbury has been an member of parliament (MP) since 2017 in Cheshire, northwest England, where the alleged incident took place. He remains an independent member of the House of Commons after losing the party whip.