Labour's Jared O'Mara says sorry for 'shameful' sexist and homophobic comments
2 min read
Labour MP Jared O'Mara has apologised for a string of misogynistic and homophobic comments he made online in his 20s.
The Sheffield Hallam MP - who unseated ex-Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg at the 2017 election - was readmitted to the Labour Party earlier this month after being suspended over the controversial remarks.
They included lewd posts on a music review website, where he referred to female fans as "sexy little slags", and a claim - denied by Mr O'Mara - that he called a barmaid an "ugly bitch" just months before the election.
In a statement issued by Labour amid a day of major Government turmoil, Mr O'Mara said he was "pleased that this matter is now resolved" and urged party colleagues to give him "a second chance".
He added: "I want to use this opportunity to restate my full and unreserved apology for the comments I made online as a young man. I grew up in an environment where lad culture and prejudicial language were normalised.
"I was in a bad place back then, and after being bullied and called many of those abusive slurs myself, I repeated them as a way of deflecting from my own low self-esteem and depression. But this is not an excuse and I take full responsibility for the unacceptable language I used.
"I am ashamed of the man I was then. I’ve been on a journey of education since, and I am continuing to listen to and learn from others’ experiences and educate myself about tackling prejudice and discrimination. I will be pleased to attend the training mandated by the panel, and I hope this will deepen my understanding of these issues further."
Mr O'Mara was readmitted to Labour last week after the disputes panel on the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) found that his case did not meet the threshold required to be referred for expulsion.
Instead, they ordered the MP - who has yet to give his maiden speech in Parliament - to undergo mandatory training.
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