The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Historic Recall Petition launched over disgraced MP
This week the Speaker of the House of Commons took the historic step of ordering a Recall Petition to remove MP for Peterborough Fiona Onasanya after her application to appeal against conviction for perverting the course of justice was refused by judges a
Fiona Onasanya’s time as Peterborough MP appears to be nearing an end after top judges rejected her appeal against her conviction.
Less than two years after winning the Peterborough seat, having been a relative political unknown in the city, she now faces a historic Recall Petition - giving the people who voted her in the chance to end her spell in Parliament.
The recall petition is funded by the Government - costing tax payers an estimated £500,000 - and will start on Tuesday, March 19. It is the first time a Recall Petition has ever been held in England – the only previous time it occurred was in Northern Ireland in 2015.
Ms Onasanya, who was released from prison last week after 28 days behind bars , represented herself in the intimidating Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday.
The disgraced former Labour MP told judges she believed she had not had a fair trial, blaming media coverage and social media comments, among other things.
Trained solicitor Ms Onasanya turned up to the hearing without any paperwork.
She told the court: “The charge against me was perverting the course of justice.
“I said from the outset, and I still maintain my innocence, that I did not do that.”
But the three judges - led by Sir Brian Leveson, president of the Queen’s Bench Division, rejected each and every argument put forward.
Judge Leveson said: “It is a tragedy that she has damaged, probably irreparably, a promising political career, but there is absolutely no basis for challenging her conviction.”
Ms Onasanya declined to comment as she left the court and briefly entered a nearby pub before leaving in a black cab.
Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow confirmed to MPs in Parliament the recall process would begin later that afternoon.
Mr Bercow said: “I have received a letter this afternoon from the registrar of criminal appeals informing me that Fiona Onasanya’s application for leave to appeal against her conviction has been refused. This notification triggers the Recall of MPs act 2015 and I will accordingly be writing to the relevant petition officer to inform that person that Fiona Onasanya is therefore subject to a Recall Petition process. It will be for that officer to make the arrangements for that petition.”
A by-election will be called if 10 per cent of the electorate in the Peterborough constituency sign the Recall Petition.
Both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party welcomed the Recall Petition.
Labour said it will “actively support” efforts to trigger a byelection, while a Conservative Party spokesman said the people of Peterborough now have the opportunity to demand a new MP through a by-election.
Eight parties have already said they will stand, with seven already naming a candidate.
The confirmed candidates if there is a by-election are: Paul Bristow (Conservative), Lisa Forbes (Labour), Beki Sellick (Liberal Democrat), John Whitby (UKIP), Joseph Wells (Green Party), Patrick O’Flynn (SDP) and Alan “Howling Laud” Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party).
The Renew Party have also said they will stand, but have not yet confirmed who their candidate will be.
Since her release from HMP Bronzefield, Ms Onasanya has not taken part in any votes at Parliament.
She continued to claim her £78,000 salary while behind bars, after telling Mr Justice Stuart-Smith it was her only form of income when he gave her a three month jail sentence in January.
On Thursday (February 28) police were called to her house due to a large media presence outside following her release on Tuesday.
A Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said: “We received reports of concern for a person’s welfare yesterday afternoon (February 27). Officers attended the address this morning (February 28) but did not find any issues.”