Member of Parliament facing assault charge to appear in court

A Member of Parliament, charged with assault following an incident where he was reportedly filmed punching a man to the ground, is scheduled to appear in court next month. Mike Amesbury, suspended by the Labour Party subsequent to the emergence of footage from the 26 October incident last month, is set to appear before Chester magistrates on 30 December. Mr. Amesbury, the Member of Parliament representing Runcorn and Helsby, engaged in an altercation with a 45-year-old man in Frodsham shortly after 02:45 BST on 26 October. Cheshire Police announced on Thursday that the 55-year-old had been charged with common assault. Mr. Amesbury secured his parliamentary seat in the general election held in July, achieving a majority of 14,696 votes. He served as a Labour MP from 2017 until his suspension, and held the position of a shadow minister between 2018 and 2024. He has characterized the incident in Frodsham as “deeply regrettable”.