Jared O'Mara quits Labour just days after being let back into the party
4 min read
Jared O'Mara has resigned the Labour whip just days after being reinstated to the party over abusive social media posts.
In an extraordinary open letter to his constituents in Sheffield Hallam, he said he had been "made to feel like a criminal" by the party and claimed Labour did not share his "commitment to the true definition of equality and compassion".
The MP was suspended from Labour last year after a string of misogynistic and homophobic comments he made in his 20s resurfaced last October.
Mr O'Mara - who unseated the former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg at the last election - made posts on a music website referring to female fans as "sexy slags" and described gay people as "fudge packers".
He was also accused of calling a constituent an "ugly bitch" - a claim denied by the MP - and was finally reinstated by Labour last month after being given a formal warning.
But in an open letter to constituents posted late on Thursday night, Mr O'Mara said he had decided to resign the Labour whip with "immediate effect" and lashed out at the party's disciplinary process.
"This decision has not been taken lightly but has been made following careful reflection of the decision to re-admit me back into the Labour party following my suspension last October," he said.
"I feel I have not been listened to or been given a fair investigation as I do not believe they considered my supporting evidence or got in touch with my witnesses. Furthermore, I am of the opinion that the Labour party no longer shares my commitment to the true definition of equality and compassion."
Mr O'Mara said there was "no doubt" that he had made "mistakes" and used "distasteful language as a clumsy attempt at satire and sarcasm" in the past.
But he added: "I am sure that there may be many of us who have done things in our past which we wished we had never done. That said, you can’t take it away and I am truly sorry for any offence that I caused.
"I didn’t commit any crimes, yet I have been made unfairly to feel like a criminal. Nobody should be made to feel ashamed for mistakes they make when they are young."
The MP - who has cerebral palsy - urged constituents to go online and research the condition as well as autism, clinical depression and anxiety.
"Then, with that reading and research, seek to exercise empathy over apathy and antipathy," he said.
"All I’ve ever wanted to do in life is help those who suffer more than I do. I ask that you all share this ambition and concern with me."
Mr O'Mara said he would be "lying" to his constituents and family if he "continued under the pretence that I feel there is a place of acceptance and empathy for me as a working class, underprivileged disabled man within the Labour Party".
He added: "I have experienced little to make me feel welcome, understood and accepted during this last year."
He vowed to continue as an MP, saying: "I might be leaving Labour but I am still at your side."
"We all need to love ourselves and forgive our mistakes, foibles and flaws," he added.
It is unclear whether Mr O'Mara plans to remain as an MP or resign his seat. If he did, it would tee up a fascinating by-election, with the Lib Dems desperate to reclaim the seat.
Mr O'Mara's resignation comes after he gave an interview to ITV news in which he revealed that he had attempted to take his own life three times during his suspension. He has yet to give his maiden speech in the House of Commons.
A Labour party spokesman said: "We’re disappointed Jared has decided to resign from Labour after we won the Sheffield Hallam seat from Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems last year.
"We wish him well for the future."
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