Fiona Onasanya: Former MP won’t stand in by-election sparked by recall petition

Fiona Onasanya, who became the first MP to be kicked out through a recall petition, has said she will not be standing in the ensuing by-election.

The 35-year-old solicitor, who was permitted to stand under the recall rules, was convicted earlier this year of perverting the course of justice for lying about a speeding offence.

Voters in Peterborough will go to the polls on 6 June after more than a quarter of registered voters in the constituency signed the petition to remove Ms Onasanya.

In a series of tweets, she confirmed she would not be putting herself forward.

Ms Onasanya said: “Thank you for allowing me to be your public servant during my tenure. To those of you who sent letters, cards, messages of support – thank you.

“To those who sent racially abusive, threatening, bullying, derogatory and vulgar remarks – as advised in my video, I will clear my name and I was willing and able to continue for as long as constituents wished for me to do so.

“Therefore, in light of the recall result, I will not be seeking to stand in the by-election, but would encourage every person seeking to be the change they wish to see by saying this:…

“You can do it – the sky is not the limit when there are footsteps on the moon!”

She won the Cambridgeshire seat for Labour with a narrow majority of 607 in the 2017 general election.

Ms Onasanya was expelled from the party after being convicted, but remained in parliament as an independent until she was removed by the petition.

The full list of declared candidates standing in the Peterborough by-election so far:

:: Labour: Lisa Forbes
:: Conservative Party: Paul Bristow
:: Liberal Democrats: Beki Sellick
:: Greens: Joseph Wells
:: Monster Raving Loony: Alan “Howling Laud” Hope
:: Social Democratic Party: Patrick O’Flynn
:: Independent: George Galloway
:: UKIP: John Whitby

(c) Sky News 2019: Fiona Onasanya: Former MP won’t stand in by-election sparked by recall petition