Manchester-born Mike Amesbury resigned as an MP after he was sentenced for assaulting his constituent almost one year ago
Mike Amesbury was the MP for Runcorn and Helsby but resigned after assaulting a man(Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A former MP who resigned after assaulting a man in his Cheshire constituency says he is still struggling to find work, one year on.
Mike Amesbury, who was born in Wythenshawe and served as a councillor in Manchester before becoming a Labour MP, spent three days behind bars earlier this year before his 10-week prison term was reduced to a suspended sentence following a court appeal.
The Parliamentarian pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45, who he punched in the street in Frodsham on October 26 last year.
Amesbury resigned as the MP for Runcorn and Helsby soon after his release from prison, triggering a by-election which Reform won.
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Speaking to ITV Granada Reports, Amesbury said that, since then, he’s applied for more than 30 jobs but has been unsuccessful so far.
He also revealed that his family home has now been sold, saying that they could not afford to keep it, but he is ‘still in the community’.
He said: “Some of these organisations are charities, some are trade unions. I’ve done a lot of work for trade unions, I’m a former convenor and shop steward.
“I’m disappointed for those organisations, those charities that claim to be charitable that are far from charitable. It’s probably another lesson in life – I’ve had lots of them over the last year.”
Mike Amesbury MP arrived at court in handcuffs as he appealed his prison sentence earlier this year(Image: Getty Images)
He added: “I remember being in No 10, I think on three different occasions post the general election, not very long ago – and then I was in a prison van a few months later. So it’s been a journey.”
CCTV footage of the incident in October last year showed Amesbury punching Mr Fellows to the ground by a taxi rank in Frodsham.
It was later revealed in court that the pair, who knew each other from school, were arguing about the closure of a bridge in the area.
The court heard that Mr Fellows started to walk away before he was beckoned back by Amesbury who punched him in the head.
Amesbury then punched Mr Fellows at least five times while he was lying on the road before saying, “Don’t ever threaten me again.”
Asked about the assault, he said that he is ‘profoundly sorry’ and admitted that he would have ‘walked away’ had he not been drinking.
He said: “I’m not after sympathy. Hopefully I will serve as a lesson[…]
“It took my 55 years to get on the wrong side of the law. I’m 56 now. I’ve stayed on the right side of the law over the last year as I did over 55 years.
“If anything I hope that I’ll be served as an example and to show that actually I was a good citizen – still am – for a long time, who made a mistake and I own it.
“But the consequence of making a mistake can ruin your livelihood, your reputation, could lose your house, you could lose personal relationships, just think about the consequences. That’s what I say to people.”