A Conservative MP who told activists to “go back to Bahrain” has been found guilty of racially aggravated breaches and fined £600.
Bob Stewart, the MP for Beckenham in south-east London, got into an altercation with Saeed Ahmed al-Wadai in front of the Foreign Office Lancaster House in Westminster on December 14th.
He told Mr. Alwadai: “You are extorting money from my country, get out.”
Labor and the Liberal Democrats are calling on him to lose his Conservative Party whip.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that the 74-year-old was attending an event hosted by the Bahrain embassy when Mr Alwadai, director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, said: “Bob Stewart, how much are you? Did you sell it?” the inquest heard. yourself to the Bahrain regime? ”
Stewart responded: “Get out. I hate you. I’m going to make a fuss. Go back to Bahrain.”
Mr. Alwadai challenged Mr. Stewart about his relationship with the Bahraini government and repeatedly asked him whether he had ever received money from the government.
The lawmaker, who was stationed in Bahrain as an army officer in the 1960s, told campaigners to “get off your chest”, adding: “Bahrain is a great place. It’s over.”
In X’s post, “No one should think twice about holding members of Congress or government officials accountable because of the color of their skin,” Al-Wadei previously said on Twitter.
“When I reported Mr Stewart to the Conservative Party, they took no action against him and refused to suspend him when he was charged.
“Given today’s ruling, I expect them to take immediate action.”
Paul Jarvis, prosecuting, told the court: “Mr Alwadai was left shaken and humiliated by what had happened.”
“The House’s Cautious Approach”
It added: “Through his comments, he (Stewart) demonstrated racial hostility towards Mr. Alwadai.”
But prosecutors said Stewart was “not motivated by racial animus.”
Mr Stewart’s lawyer, Paul Cabin KC, argued that he had no right to “confront MPs in public and expect them to respond in a sensitive manner in the House of Commons”.
He added that “any hostility was based on the plaintiff’s actions, actions and words toward the defendant.”
Citing character evidence, Baroness Elizabeth Butler Sloss, 90, described Stewart’s “kind” and “thoughtful” demeanor as “flirty”, adding: “He is used to saying unwise things. “But his heart is absolutely in the right place.” ”
“Honor is at stake.”
Asked for his thoughts on the racial antagonism allegations, Mr Stewart said: “It’s ridiculous and completely unfair. I don’t want to say my life has been destroyed, but I have to go to court like this. I was deeply hurt by what happened.” .
“I’m not a racist. He was saying I was corrupt and took money.
“My honor was at stake in front of a crowd of ambassadors.”
Speaking after the guilty verdict, opposition parties called for the Conservative whip to be removed from Mr Stewart, meaning he would have to sit as an independent.
Labor Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said it was “another major scandal for the Conservative Party”.
“This behavior is completely unacceptable from a sitting MP. Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party need to take immediate action and remove the Tory whip.”
Liberal Democrat leader Wendy Chamberlain said: “It’s time for Mr Sunak to finally act with integrity and that should start by immediately removing the whip from Bob Stewart.”
“If we don’t remove the whip, we are sending a dangerous message that this kind of behavior will be tolerated.”
The Conservative Party said it would not comment at this time.
Parliamentary records show Mr Stewart registered £5,349 worth of flights, accommodation and meals paid for by the Foreign Office during a four-day trip to Bahrain in November last year.
Another article featured by the Bahraini government shows another trip worth £1,245.56 to visit an air show and meet the foreign minister.
Mr Alwadai claimed the country was “corrupt” and a “human rights violator”.
CPS deputy chief prosecutor Claire Walsh said: “His claim that his words were misinterpreted was rejected by the court in light of the evidence provided by the CPS, including witness footage and victim testimony. ” he said.
“Hate of any kind has no place in society and the CPS will not hesitate to prosecute people who commit hate crimes, as long as our legal tests are met.”
The councilor was also ordered to pay £835 in legal costs.
The CPS said his £600 fine would have been reduced to £400 had it not been for the seriousness of the hate crime he committed.