Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jared O’Mara resigns: Former Labour MP to quit seat as he is ‘not in any fit state’ to continue

Sheffield Hallam politician to step down in September after parliament’s summer recess

Chiara Giordano
Saturday 27 July 2019 17:26 BST
Comments
2018: Jared O'Mara thanks MPs for their patience in maiden speech

Jared O’Mara has announced he will resign as MP for Sheffield Hallam.

The independent MP said he will step down in September at the end of parliament’s summer recess.

The 37-year-old told the Sheffield Star: “Please let everyone be assured that I will be tendering my resignation via the official parliamentary process as soon as term restarts.

“I am not in any fit state to continue and nor would that be appropriate if I was.”

Mr O’Mara, who resigned from Labour last year, apologised to his constituents, the people of Sheffield and the UK as a whole.

Earlier this week, the politician announced he would be taking time out from his duties to deal with his “mental health and personal issues regarding self-medication”.

The announcement came after Gareth Arnold, his chief of staff, resigned in a series of tweets published on Mr O’Mara’s Twitter account.

On Saturday, Mr Arnold said Mr O’Mara had asked him to stay on until a new MP takes the Sheffield Hallam seat.

Mr Arnold said: “From 3 September, he’ll be resigning, triggering a by-election.”

He added: “He’s going, there will be a by-election and a new MP before the end of the year.”

Mr O’Mara’s announcement that he will resign as MP comes after allegations that he sexually harassed a former employee.

However Mr Arnold said he had already made the decision to resign.

Mr O’Mara took the Sheffield Hallam seat for Labour from former deputy prime minister and former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in 2017.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

He had the whip withdrawn after apparently sexist and homophobic comments emerged, which he had posted on social media years earlier, but was readmitted to the party after receiving a formal warning.

Mr O’Mara resigned from Labour in 2018, saying he had been “made unfairly to feel like a criminal”, and now sits as an independent.

The Independent has approached Mr O’Mara for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in