Politics

Tory MP found guilty of racially abusing activist

A Conservative politician has been found guilty of racially abusing an activist by telling him to “go back to Bahrain”.

Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham in south-east London, also told Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei “you’re taking money off my country, go away!” during a row outside the Foreign Office’s Lancaster House in Westminster on December 14 last year.

Mr Alwadaei shouted: “Bob Stewart, for how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?”

During a heated exchange, Mr Stewart replied: “Go away, I hate you. You make a lot of fuss. Go back to Bahrain.”

In footage played during a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, he also said: “Now shut up, you stupid man.”

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring found the MP guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.

He said Stewart will not be jailed.

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Ted Hennessey

Ted Hennessey is a reporter for PA. He can be found on Twitter (X) here: @TedMHennessey

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