Exclusive: Labour now ‘trying to KEEP Amesbury despite assault’ – because afraid of Reform ‘party’

Runcorn and Helsby MP convicted of assault and awaiting sentencing – but Labour dumps Ashworth plan for fear of loss to far-right corporate ‘party’ if by-election triggered

As Skwawkbox has covered previously, Runcorn and Helsby MP Mike Amesbury – currently suspended by Labour – was convicted after admitting that he assaulted a man repeatedly in the street in the town of Frodsham in Amesbury’s constituency last October. He awaits sentencing.

According to party insiders, Labour was planning to parachute ousted Leicester South Israel-supporter Jonathan Ashworth in as its candidate if Amesbury is either sentenced to more than a year in prison, which would make him ineligible to remain as an MP, or is suspended by Parliament for ten days or more – which would allow a ‘recall petition’ to trigger a by-election.

However, Skwawkbox understands that this plan has now been dumped unless there turns out to be no option – and Labour plans to try to keep Amesbury in the seat if his sentence is less than a year – because they fear that Keir Starmer and his party are so unpopular that they would lose the by-election to the far-right Farage Reform ‘party’.

If Amesbury is sentenced to less than a year, Starmer and his machine plan to oppose a parliamentary suspension of more than ten days, preventing a potential recall petition. As one insider told Skwawkbox on condition of anonymity:

They’re frit, genuinely panicked and they’d rather try to manage the bad optics of keeping him in place with a slap on the wrist than risk a by-election that might show the country how much voters despise them.

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