Beckenham MP Bob Stewart found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence

Conservative MP for Beckenham, Bob Stewart has been found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence when he told an activist to “go back to Bahrain” in December 2022. He has been fined £600 plus costs. He has resigned the Conservative whip. 

Lib Dem Campaigner in Stewart’s seat of Beckenham, Chloe-Jane Ross, said: “This is a sorry state of affairs, the people of Beckenham deserve a better representative. This is not how people expect their MP to behave. It is not right to treat a member of the public in that manner, especially a survivor of human rights abuse. This event and his letter of support for convicted sex offender and former MP Elphicke is not what local people want from their MP.”

Mr Stewart also caused controversy when he was reprimanded in 2021 for breaching the House of Commons Code of Conduct, when he wrote to Lord Chief Justice in support of Charlie Elphicke MP who had just been found guilty of sexual assault on parliamentary letterhead.