A police investigation has been launched following an incident involving Labour MP Mike Amesbury outside a taxi rank in Cheshire in the early hours of this morning (October 26).
Footage of the aftermath of the incident circulating on social media appears to show a man lying on the ground and Mr Amesbury standing over him, pointing his finger.
The MP is understood to have attended a community safety meeting with police earlier that evening.
He can then be heard to say: “You won’t threaten your MP again’. He then leans over the man, points his finger at him and repeats: “You won’t ever threaten your MP ever again, will you?”
Mr Amesbury, from Wythenshawe, who has been Labour MP for Runcorn since 2017 says he was acting in self defence after being threatened. Cheshire Police have started an inquiry.
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John Roberts, owner of a taxi company in Main Street, Frodsham, said footage he had seen showed a punch being thrown and a man then lying on the ground.
He added the MP had been outside the taxi premises waiting for a taxi when a dispute began. Mr Roberts said: “The police have called at the office to ask for the CCTV of the incident. It happened at 2.18am today… The police said it was a high-profile investigation”.
In a statement released this afternoon, Mr Amesbury said: “Last night, I was involved in an incident that took place after I felt threatened on the street following an evening out with friends.
“This morning, I contacted Cheshire Police myself to report what happened during this incident. I will not be making further public comment but will, of course, cooperate with any inquiries if required by Cheshire Police.
“I remain fully committed to working hard for the people of Runcorn and Helsby, and am determined to remain an open and accessible MP for our community.”
A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “We are aware of an incident that took place last night involving Mike Amesbury MP. We understand that Mr Amesbury approached Cheshire Police to report what happened this morning himself, and that he will cooperate with any inquiries they have.”
On his own X account Mr Amesbury posted last night that he was attending a meeting with the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price, and local Frodsham Labour councillors in the town to listen to residents concerns regarding policing and community safety.
Mr Amesbury served as Shadow Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness since 2023. He previously served as Shadow Minister for Employment from 2018 to 2020, Shadow Minister for Housing from 2020 to 2021 and Shadow Minister for Local Government from 2021 to 2022.
He was elected to Manchester City Council representing Fallowfield Ward in 2006 and was re-elected in in 2010 and 2014 . He became Executive Member for Culture and Leisure from 2008 to 2012, he helped bring the National Football Museum to the city. He stood down following his election to the House of Commons.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: “At 2.48am on Saturday 26 October, police were called to reports of an assault in Frodsham. A caller reported he had been assaulted by a man in Main Street. Enquiries are ongoing.”
