Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has confirmed his resignation from Parliament following a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a constituent.

Amesbury, who represented the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, stated he will begin the statutory process of winding down his office and plans to resign as soon as possible.

His resignation will prompt the first by-election under Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government.

Amesbury received a 10-week prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, after admitting to assaulting Paul Fellows.

In a recent interview, he expressed deep regret over the incident, stating he has remorse for his actions 'every moment, every day.' However, he indicated that he may have continued in his role as an MP had he received a lighter community sentence, asserting that serving as an MP was his calling.

As part of parliamentary rules, a custodial sentence triggers a 'recall petition' process.

Had 10% of his constituents expressed a desire to remove him, a by-election would have been initiated, potentially resulting in his removal from office.

Discussing his future, Amesbury emphasized the procedures he must follow before formally stepping down.

He acknowledged the difficulties he has faced since the court case and stated he takes full responsibility for his actions.

Despite his conviction and suspension from duties, Amesbury maintained that he continued to address constituents' casework, claiming to have managed some tasks from prison.

Amesbury was incarcerated for three nights following the court's sentencing at Chester Magistrates' Court on 24 February.

This sentence was subsequently suspended by Chester Crown Court, permitting him to serve his term in the community rather than in prison.

Under the conditions of his suspended sentence, Amesbury is required to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, undertake an alcohol monitoring program, attend an anger management course, and participate in 20 days of rehabilitation work.

Throughout the trial and subsequent findings, campaigners called for the suspension of his pay.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) stated that current regulations stipulate MPs must receive their salary until formally suspended through a House of Commons disciplinary process.

Amesbury defended his decision to retain his salary, asserting that he continued to fulfill his responsibilities, despite not attending debates in the House of Commons since a video of the assault surfaced in October 2024.

Amesbury's actions were captured on video, which was presented in court, showing him repeatedly striking Mr. Fellows.

Testimonies indicated that after initial contact, Amesbury proceeded to hit Mr. Fellows multiple times while making aggressive remarks.

During the trial, Amesbury claimed he felt threatened by Mr. Fellows, stating he believed he was responding to a potential physical threat.

However, the judge dismissed this defense, calling his claims untruthful.

Amesbury noted the emotional toll of dealing with threats against his life and acknowledged that such experiences heightened his anxiety levels.

Reflecting on the incident, Amesbury expressed his regret for not walking away and recognized it as a 'moment of madness.' He mentioned he wished to apologize to Mr. Fellows directly but chose to refrain while legal proceedings were ongoing.

Fellows, in earlier comments, expressed a lack of sincerity in Amesbury's responses and described the attack as potentially life-threatening.