Labour MP Jared O’Mara Denies Insulting Woman Months Before Election

Labour MP Jared O’Mara Denies Insulting Woman Months Before Election

Under-fire Labour MP Jared O’Mara has denied a constituent’s claim that he called her an “ugly bitch” just months before his election.

Mr O’Mara resigned from his position on the Commons Women and Equalities Committee on Monday in a row over derogatory online comments posted more than a decade ago.

But he “categorically denies” the more recent claims from Sophie Evans, who claimed he was abusive to her in March this year.

Mr O’Mara won the Sheffield Hallam seat in June, ousting former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Ms Evans told BBC Two’s Daily Politics programme that some of the comments made by Mr O’Mara in March “aren’t broadcastable”.

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Jared O’Mara (Parliament/PA)

“There were some transphobic slurs in there, but he called me an ugly bitch,” she said.

“I just thought ‘wow, he’s not a very nice man’ and just forgot about it. I knew that he was involved in politics but I had no idea at the time he was running for MP for Sheff Hallam, which is my constituency.”

She added: “I just kind of thought that someone like that couldn’t possibly be that heavily involved.”

Ms Evans dismissed Mr O’Mara’s claims that he had changed in the years since his online posts, which dated to the early 2000s.

She said: “Fair enough for him to have said that about 15 years ago, but he won’t even acknowledge something that happened seven months ago.”

A spokesman for Mr O’Mara said: “He categorically denies the latest allegations.”

In an interview with online magazine Huck, Mr O’Mara said he had made a “full and unreserved” apology to Labour MPs about the online remarks and felt “deeply ashamed” of his past comments.

“Overwhelmingly people accepted my apology, accepted my sincerity and remorse, they accepted I have been through a journey of education,” he said.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the language allegedly used by Mr O’Mara was “unacceptable” and indicated there could be an investigation.

He told the Press Association: “He has apologised for what we knew yesterday. He issued a profuse apology.

“Any language like that we know is unacceptable and I’m hoping he will apologise for that.”

Asked if there should be an investigation, Mr McDonnell said: “That would be the normal process.”