The ‘disgraced criminal’ who foiled Brexit while on licence
Jailed MP from city where 61pc voted to leave EU cast decisive vote on Bill to block a no-deal
FIONA ONASANYA has been branded a “disgraced criminal” by furious Eurosceptics, after she was able to cast the decisive vote in a historic backbench Bill to block a no-deal Brexit.
The Peterborough MP, who was released from prison in February, is facing widespread anger after backing the “rebel” legislation that could force Theresa May to request a second extension of Article 50.
The city, where Onasanya’s constituents are in the process of signing a recall petition to unseat her and force a by-election, voted by 61 per cent to 39 per cent to leave the EU.
It is understood that the 35-year-old was able to attend Wednesday’s Commons vote, which saw the Bill pass by 312 votes to 311, because a curfew imposed on her release has now lapsed.
Although she was previously believed to be wearing an electronic tag, an MP close to Onasanya confirmed yesterday she had not been wearing one during the votes.
Hours beforehand, Onasanya attended an employment tribunal in Cambridge, where she stands accused of discriminating against a disabled employee who was allegedly told to use the male lavatory because she could not use the stairs.
Last night two Government ministers also told The Daily Telegraph they had seen Ms Onasanya in the Smoking Room, an exclusive Parliamentary bar, ahead of Wednesday’s vote.
Onasanya, who refused to step down as an MP after being expelled from the Labour Party, yesterday claimed she had backed the Bill because she “could not support crashing out” of the EU and hoped it would allow a “compromise deal” to be struck. However, her
‘[She] has no shame. She really needs to save the £500,000 in taxpayers’ money being spent on the recall petition, and disappear into obscurity’
decision provoked widespread anger, with hundreds of people on social media demanding she resign.
They were joined by Stewart Jackson, the former Tory MP for Peterborough, who told The Telegraph that Ms Onasanya had “hugely offended” many of her constituents.
“It seems to sum up people’s attitude towards Parliament that a convicted criminal and liar can cast a vote to attempt to block Brexit,” he continued.
“I think the woman has no shame. She really needs to save the £500,000 in taxpayers’ money being spent on the recall petition and stand down and disappear into obscurity. It’s a huge embarrassment to the city.”
Michael Fabricant, the Conservative MP for Lichfield, added: “This neither reflects well on the reputation of the Commons nor, I would have thought, Labour, given that she is nominally an independent MP having been expelled from the party. Meanwhile, constituents in Peterborough who voted to leave the EU will not be best pleased that she has thwarted their wishes. I suspect their recall petition cannot come soon enough.”
In a statement, the campaign group Leave.eu said: “Fiona Onasanya helped a Bill designed to frustrate the will of 17.4 million people pass through the Commons by just a single vote. British politics truly is a complete and utter cesspit.”
However, a supportive colleague pointed out that Tory MP Chris Davies, who pleaded guilty to two charges of making a false expenses claim in March, also voted against the Bill.
Onasanya refused to comment when approached by reporters after the second day of the tribunal.
Elected in 2017, she was expelled from Labour last year after being convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to police about a speeding offence. She was handed a three-month sentence on Jan 29 but released after 28 days, having reportedly agreed to a curfew and an electronic tag. She remains on licence until the end of April.
The recall petition triggered after her conviction was delayed for several weeks whilst she appealed against her conviction. That was thrown out at the Royal Courts of Justice on March 5, allowing the John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, to finally begin proceedings.
She faces a by-election if at least 10 per cent of her constituents – about 7,000 people – sign the petition, which runs for six weeks until May 1. Should the threshold be met, she will be ousted as an MP but would be able to stand again in a by-election as an independent candidate.