The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
MP’s ‘lenient’ jail term to be reviewed
Calls for change in law to stop MPs holding their jobs while in prison
Peterborough MP Fiona Onsanya’s jail term could be increased after The Attorney General’s office confirmed it was being reviewed after receiving complaints it was too lenient.
Onasanya was jailed for three months last week after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice. She remains Peterborough MP - with the £77,000 salary that comes with the post - despite being behind bars.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said: “We have received a request for the case of Fiona Onasanya to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case.”
If it is felt the sentence was too lenient by law officers, it will then go to the Court of Appeal. Onasanya has already lodged an appeal against her conviction.
MPs in The House of Commons raised the issue of Onasanya’s jail term last week, with Sir Mike Penning, Conservative MP for Hemel Hempstead calling for a change in the law to stop sitting MPs holding their job if they have been jailed. He said: “There is one issue that is bringing this house into disrepute today, and that is a member of this house is in prison, and continues to be an MP.
“My constituents and other constituents around the country do not understand that. They do not understand how anybody can be convicted of a crime and still be a member of this house, and be in prison.”
Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom agreed, and called for Onasanya to resign saying the situation was ‘unaceptable.’
On a visit to Peterborough Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs added: “I don’t know about a change in the law, I don’t know the individual circumstances about her own case, but I do know you cannot represent the people of Peterborough when you are in jail. When she’s been sentenced in the way that she has, I wish her all the best for the future, but the honourable thing is to recognise time’s up, you’ve got to stand down.”