Tory MP guilty of racially abusing activist he told to 'go back to Bahrain'
A Tory MP who told an activist to "go back to Bahrain" was tonight found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence. Bob Stewart got into a row with the campaigner after he accused him of "selling himself" to the Middle Eastern country's government.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the veteran backbencher had insisted “I am not a racist”. But he was fined £600 and ordered to pay a further £835 in legal costs. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said that he accepted Mr Stewart "is not racist per se, but that is not the case against him". "Good men can do bad things," he added.
Rishi Sunak, who had refused to take disciplinary action ahead of the trial, is now under pressure to strip him of the Conservative Party whip. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, who was verbally abused by Mr Stewart, said: "When I reported Mr Stewart to the Conservative Party, they didn’t take action against him and when he was charged, they refused to suspend him. Given today’s verdict, I expect them to take immediate action.
During the one day hearing, Mr Stewart, 74, had said he was “deeply hurt” to find himself on trial as he argued he had spent his entire life “defending minorities and people of different colours”. The court heard he told Mr Alwadaei "you're taking money off my country, go away!" during the confrontation outside Lancaster House last December.
Parliamentary records show Mr Stewart registered flights, accommodation and meals worth £5,349 during a four-day trip to Bahrain last November paid for by its ministry of foreign affairs. Mr Stewart yelled back at Mr Alwadaei: "Go away, I hate you. You make a lot of fuss. Go back to Bahrain." In a video played to the court, he also said: "Now shut up you stupid man."
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Asked for his thoughts on the allegations of racial hostility, Mr Stewart said: "That's absurd, it's totally unfair, my life has been, I don't want to say destroyed, but I am deeply hurt at having to appear in a court like this.... I am not a racist." He continued: "He was saying that I was corrupt and that I had taken money. My honour was at stake in front of a large number of ambassadors. It upset me and I thought it was extremely offensive."
The MP went on: "'Go back to Bahrain' meant why don't you go back to Bahrain and make your point there?" He argued that he had been "goaded" and "embarrassed" by Mr Alwadaei. Mr Stewart, a former British Army officer who was stationed in Bahrain in 1969, said he is a "friend" of the Middle Eastern country. He continued: "I've spent my whole life in a way defending minorities and people of different colours."
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after a complaint was made by Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) activist Mr Alwadaei, who has said he is living in exile after being tortured in the Gulf state. During his evidence, Mr Alwadaei said he was exercising his right to protest by questioning Mr Stewart and had not intended to insult the MP. He accused Mr Stewart of being financed by Bahrain and of acting as a "well-known defender" of the regime, the court heard. The protester also claimed that during a trip to the country, Mr Stewart had chanted "god save the king of Bahrain".
Asked how he felt after their exchange last year, Mr Alwadaei said: "I feel that I was dehumanised, like I was someone who is not welcomed in the UK." He added: "Because of my skin colour, because of where I came from, he feels I am taking money from his country." Mr Alwadaei went on to say if he did return to Bahrain, he would "undoubtedly be killed and tortured".
Former Appeal Court Judge Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, giving character evidence on behalf of Mr Stewart, had said: "He is given to saying things that are unwise but his heart is absolutely in the right place."
Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain said: "It's time Rishi Sunak finally acted with integrity. This should start with immediately removing the whip from Bob Stewart. Failing to remove the whip sends a dangerous message that behaviour like this is acceptable. Rishi Sunak has allowed his first year as Prime Minister to be dogged by sleaze and scandal - the very least he could do now is to finally crack down on it."
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