Mike Amesbury faces prison: Does Runcorn and Helsby by-election loom?

The prospect of a parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby has drawn one step closer after MP Mike Amesbury was sentenced to ten weeks in prison for common assault.

A hearing began at around 11am at Chester Magistrates’ Court this morning, with Judge Tan Ikram in his sentencing describing how Amesbury “continued [his] attack while the victim was on the ground”.

The previously-Labour MP had pleaded guilty last month in relation to an altercation with a man in the early hours of October 26.

READ MORE: Runcorn special report: Could anger at MP and Labour risk by-election loss?

Amesbury had already been suspended by Labour and lost the whip after footage emerged which appeared to show him punching a man, and was later expelled from the party after his guilty plea in January.

Judge Ikram said that Amesbury will serve 40% of his sentence and spend the rest of the sentence on license.

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The sentence means a recall petition will be triggered in Runcorn and Helsby, unless Amesbury chooses to appeal.

A recall petition means voters in the MP’s seat have six weeks to sign requesting a by-election; if 10% sign the by-election goes ahead, but if the threshold is not met, the MP can stay in place. All bar one recall petition to date has either seen signatures meet the threshold, or the MP resign first.

Amesbury is expected to release a statement soon following the conclusion of the case, and if he resigns, it would also trigger a by-election. At least some local Labour figures are keen for him to stay on, however, and he has not signalled to date that he could quit.

Reform UK has called for Amesbury to quit. The Conservatives are also said to now be preparing for a by-election, with The Times reporting that the party has begun its search for a candidate, while the Liberal Democrats also briefly advertised weeks ago for a candidate.

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