Fiona Onasanya booted out as Peterborough MP as constituents back recall petition against her
2 min read
Former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya has been ousted from her Commons seat after her constituents backed a recall petition that was triggered against her.
More than 19,000 Peterborough voters signed the petition to instigate a by-election (27%), smashing the required 6,967 signatures.
It makes her the first MP to be forced out of her seat as a result of the measures brought in in 2016, whereby a by-election will be triggered if 10% of registered voters in a constituency sign an organised petition.
She was found guilty in December of lying to police about a speeding charge and was jailed for three months.
Ms Onasanya lost her appeal to overturn a conviction for perverting the course of justice after it was dismissed at the Royal Courts of Justice in March.
The former solicitor took the seat from the Conservatives at the 2017 election with a majority of just 607 votes.
She was kicked out of the Labour Party after her conviction, but had rejected calls to stand down as an MP.
Labour Party Chair Ian Lavery said of the petition result: “Labour campaigned hard for a victory in this recall petition.
“The people of Peterborough clearly agree that Fiona Onasanya is not fit to be their MP and we’re delighted they will now have the chance to vote for a Labour MP in our excellent candidate, Lisa Forbes. Labour will move the writ tomorrow.”
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough Paul Bristow said: “The people of Peterborough deserve a better MP who will vote in Parliament to deliver Brexit.”
It has been rumoured that Nigel Farage's new Brexit party will use the by-election to stand its first parliamentary candidate, but it remains unclear whether the former Ukip chief will himself stand.
Ian Paisley, the MP for North Antrim, became the first to face the recall process last year, but survived to keep his seat.
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