Brazen beyond belief
MP jailed for lying over speeding case now begs voters not to boot her out
DISGRACED MP Fiona Onasanya yesterday begged voters not to kick her out of Parliament during a brazen online speech in which she declared herself innocent.
The 35-year-old solicitor insisted that she had been wrongfully convicted of perverting the course of justice, even though her appeal was thrown out by judges earlier this month.
In a bizarre four-minute video filmed in front of a New York backdrop, the former Labour politician vowed to clear her name and continue serving as an MP for as long as possible.
Today a ‘recall petition’ opens in which voters in her Peterborough constituency can force a by-election. She has been kicked out of Labour but claims her £77,000 salary as an MP is her only source of income.
It comes after she was jailed for three months at the Old Bailey in January for lying to police about a speeding offence.
Speaking publicly for the first time after serving only 28 days of her sentence, the MP pleaded with voters not to impose further punishment on her by kicking her out of her job.
She said: ‘People have asked for my resignation – but what would you do if you were innocent? Would you sit back and accept it?’
The former Labour whip and Jeremy Corbyn ally used the video – posted on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube – to blame the Press for not publicising her defence, ignoring the fact she was convicted by a jury who were ordered to ignore media reports.
The MP was convicted alongside her brother Festus, 34, who admitted three counts of perverting the course of justice – one of which related to the incident when the politician was driving. Her Nissan Micra had been clocked doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in the village of Thorney, near Peterborough, in July 2017. A notice of intended prosecution sent to her was returned saying a Russian tenant at a property rented by the Onasanya siblings was driving.
Police discovered that the alleged driver was not even in the UK at the time.
During an initial trial at the Old Bailey, she said she believed she was in Westminster when the offence occurred. But her former speechwriter Dr Christian DeFeo said she had been at a meeting at his house – near the speed camera. Onasanya was convicted at a retrial.
Earlier this month, a panel of High Court judges led by Lord Leveson threw out the MP’s appeal against the conviction.
Yesterday a former top prosecutor rubbished her comments, pointing out that she had still not offered a suitable explanation for misleading police.
Nazir Afzal, who served as chief crown prosecutor for North-West England, said: ‘What’s missing, in this message telling us her defence, is her defence.
‘The jury and court of appeal heard her “defence” and didn’t believe it. Peterborough deserves better.’
A by-election will take place if ten per cent of Peterborough voters – about 7,000 – sign the petition before May 1.