British Labor MP suspended after apparently punching a passer-by during a night out

A lawmaker from the ruling Labor Party was suspended from the party on Sunday after appearing to punch a passerby who he said had threatened him after a Friday night out with friends.

Mike Amesbury, 55, was suspended after CCTV footage showed him speaking to the man, throwing an initial punch and punching him repeatedly after he was knocked to the ground.

Another video showed the aftermath of the punch, where he could be heard saying: “You will never threaten the MP again” to anyone off camera.

Statement from Mike Amesbury — In a statement on Saturday, Amesbury said he “felt threatened on the street after a night out with friends”, and that he had contacted police himself to report the incident.

A Labor Party spokesman said Amesbury, MP for Runcorn and Helsby in north-west England, was assisting police with their investigation.

“As these investigations are now ongoing, the Labor Party has administratively suspended Mr Amesbury’s membership of the Labor Party pending an investigation,” the spokesperson said.

In a statement on Saturday, before the video of the punch emerged, Amesbury said he “felt threatened on the street after a night out with friends” and had contacted police himself to report the incident.

“I will not be making any further public comment, but will of course cooperate with any questions if necessary.”

There was no immediate response to a request for new comment on his suspension on Sunday.