Leicester East MP found guilty, will appeal

[PR1Berske]

An MP has been found guilty of harassment and is expected to face demands to stand down from her seat.

Claudia Webbe, the independent MP for Leicester East, was accused of carrying out a campaign of harassment through unwanted telephone calls against Michelle Merritt, a female friend of her partner. She allegedly called Merritt a slag, threatened an acid attack and said she would distribute naked pictures of Merritt to her family.




Webbe, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, was elected as Labour MP for Leicester East but had the whip withdrawn after being charged. She was elected for the first time in 2019 with a majority of 6,019. She denied harassment between 1 September 2018 and 26 April 2020.

She is to appeal.

 

[brogdale]

She is to appeal.

There could be a Recall Petition if she is sentenced for a particular time (12 months I think)

A byelection would be called if the recall petition falls, or if she resigns.

Maj of 6k...surely not?

 

[Serge Forward]

I wonder if the evil Vaz or one of his acolytes steps in.

 

[PR1Berske]

 

[Pickman's model]

I wonder if the evil Vaz or one of his acolytes steps in.

maybe 'king over the water' david miliband might be tempted back

 

[Smokeandsteam]

maybe 'king over the water' david miliband might be tempted back

Or professional northerner Andy Burnham, although an East Midlands seat would be geographically problematic maybe.

 

[PR1Berske]

I've added the Election Maps tweet to the OP so the potential byelection details are clear.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Is that not Keith Vaz's old seat? They don't have much luck with MPs do they?

 

[kebabking]

Maybe she'll do a runner to Be'ruuus...?

 

[PR1Berske]

There may be something in the water in the East Midlands. Here's something from Wikipedia about the MP prior to Vaz:




"
As an MP, Bruinvels was opposed to equal rights for the LGBT community and was a strong supporter of Section 28 saying: "I do not agree with homosexuality. I think that Clause 28 will help outlaw it and the rest will be done by AIDS, with a substantial number of homosexuals dying of AIDS. I think that's probably the best way."[1]

In 1997 as a member of the Church of England's General Synod, Bruinvels said he would be spearheading moves to stop the ordination of known homosexuals: "Bishops have a moral responsibility to safeguard marriage and family life and by ordaining known homosexuals, they are sending out the wrong signals."[2]"

 

[ouirdeaux]

There may be something in the water in the East Midlands. Here's something from Wikipedia about the MP prior to Vaz:

As an MP, Bruinvels was opposed to equal rights for the LGBT community and was a strong supporter of Section 28 saying: "I do not agree with homosexuality. I think that Clause 28 will help outlaw it and the rest will be done by AIDS, with a substantial number of homosexuals dying of AIDS. I think that's probably the best way."[1]

It is a sign of a particular type of fuckwit to use 'agree' here. You don't agree or disagree with homosexuality, any more than you do with Morris dancing or Bach or tea cosies. You consider them, decide whether they appeal to you or not, and seek them out or avoid them accordingly.

If you mean by 'not agree' not simply that it isn't your thing, but that others should be chucked into prison if it's theirs, then you're an obvious nutter.

 

[TopCat]

It is a sign of a particular type of fuckwit to use 'agree' here. You don't agree or disagree with homosexuality, any more than you do with Morris dancing or Bach or tea cosies. You consider them, decide whether they appeal to you or not, and seek them out or avoid them accordingly.

If you mean by 'not agree' not simply that it isn't your thing, and that others should be chucked into prison if it's theirs, then you're an obvious nutter.

Morris dancing deserves stiff sentences.

 

[ouirdeaux]

Hey, it's between consensual adults. You don't have to look.

Also, think about what they might be doing if they weren't dancing.

 

[TopCat]

Hey, it's between consensual adults. You don't have to look.

Also, think about what they might be doing if they weren't dancing.

Mandatory minimum sentences.

 

[Pickman's model]

Is that not Keith Vaz's old seat? They don't have much luck with MPs do they?

None of us have much luck with MPs

 

[belboid]

maybe 'king over the water' david miliband might be tempted back

Lol

 

[belboid]

Or professional northerner Andy Burnham, although an East Midlands seat would be geographically problematic maybe.

Double lol

 

[belboid]

It should still be fairly safe Labour, the party lost most of the voters who were disgusted by vaz’s behaviour. Few more will be much more annoyed by Webb’s. But KS is so uninspiring that a good Tory campaign could win it for them.

No big name would risk it.

 

[Serge Forward]

Vaz still has a lot of clout. Pre-Webbe's court case the local Vazites were busy trying to undermine and oust her because she wasn't anointed by Vaz. Still, could be worse, the other Leicester MPs are Liz Kendall and Jon Ashworth. Something in the water indeed

 

[TopCat]

The grounds for appeal should be amusing.

 

[Elpenor]

maybe 'king over the water' david miliband might be tempted back

Nothing could be worse than a return to frontline politics for Tony Blair

 

[belboid]

There may be something in the water in the East Midlands. Here's something from Wikipedia about the MP prior to Vaz:




"
As an MP, Bruinvels was opposed to equal rights for the LGBT community and was a strong supporter of Section 28 saying: "I do not agree with homosexuality. I think that Clause 28 will help outlaw it and the rest will be done by AIDS, with a substantial number of homosexuals dying of AIDS. I think that's probably the best way."[1]

In 1997 as a member of the Church of England's General Synod, Bruinvels said he would be spearheading moves to stop the ordination of known homosexuals: "Bishops have a moral responsibility to safeguard marriage and family life and by ordaining known homosexuals, they are sending out the wrong signals."[2]"

Bruinvels, the homophobe who beat Patricia Hewitt, the former NCCL chair who said Labour should dump gay rights to keep pensioners happy. Which sounds a bit familiar.

 

[Pickman's model]

Nothing could be worse than a return to frontline politics for Tony Blair

He's a big man but he's out of shape

 

[not henry]

He's a big man but he's out of shape

but he has never been in coronation street

 

[Elpenor]

He's a big man but he's out of shape

Leicester has some fine car parks

 

[William of Walworth]

The need for historical accuracy in this thread, demands that not only was Peter Bruinvels a ravingly rightwing and bonkers homophobe ( ), but also -- possibly even worse! -- an actual Tory!!

(Somer might assume that all Leicester seats are always Labour-held -- and no-one actually mentiioned Bruinvels' party above)

 

[A380]

Leicester has some fine car parks

Fit for a king.

 

[belboid]

Of course you know who is going to throw his hat into the ring. Even tho he said he’d eat it after Batley & Spen.

 

[PR1Berske]

 

[killer b]

I don't know anything about this particular case, but it's hard not to notice that BME female left-wing MPs seem to end up in court a lot.