Labour’s Kate Osamor ‘sorry for emotional outbursts’ which led to frontbench resignation
2 min read
Former Labour frontbencher Kate Osamor has apologised for the "emotional outbursts" towards a journalist which led to her resignation from the Shadow Cabinet.
Ms Osamor quit as Shadow International Development Secretary earlier this month, a day after she allegedly threatened to smash the Times reporter's face in with a bat.
She also reportedly told the journalist to “f*** off”, threw a bucket of water at him and called the police after accusing him of stalking.
The incident came after the Edmonton MP was accused of misleading the public over her knowledge of her son's conviction for drug offences.
Ishmael Osamor, who is employed by her as a communications officer, was handed a community sentence in October after being caught with drugs worth £2,500 at a music festival.
He had pleaded guilty to four charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis, although the prosecution accepted he was holding the drugs for a friend rather than selling them.
Ms Osamor was reported to parliament’s standards watchdog in early November by a Conservative MP for continuing to employ her son, despite his offences coming to light.
She went on to defend her stance, claiming she had “done nothing wrong” and the referral was “politically motivated”.
In an apparent reference to her altercation with the journalist, Ms Osamor last night issued a statement on Twitter.
At the time of her resignation, Ms Osamor said: "I am resigning my position as Shadow International Development Secretary to concentrate on supporting my family through the difficult time we have been experiencing."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile said: "She brought a new dimension to the role by committing Labour to tackling global inequality as well as poverty as part of building a world for the many not the few.
"I know Kate will take this time to support her family, work for her constituents and support our party’s efforts to rebuild Britain from the backbenches."
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