Labour MP resigns from Women and Equalities Committee over sexist and homophobic comments

A Labour MP has been forced to resign from the
Women and Equalities committee has been forced to
apologise after a string of sexist and homophobic
online comments emerged.
Jared O’Mara, who ousted Nick Clegg from his
Sheffield Hallam seat in June, made the comments on
music internet forums 15 years ago, when he was 21.
Comments made by O’Mara include referring to gay
people as “fudge packers” and “plotters” on a forum
dedicated to singer Morrissey.
And he apologised for comments which emerged
earlier, where he suggested jazz musician Jamie
Cullum should be raped to death with his own piano
and that he would like to have an orgy with Girls
Aloud.
He also claimed singer Michelle McManus only won
Pop Idol "because she was fat."
A spokesperson confirmed to the Mirror tonight that
he had resigned as a member of Parliament's Women
and Equalities Committee during tonight's meeting of
the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Sheffield Lib Dem peer Lord Scriven said: “He clearly
isn’t fit to sit on the Women and Equalities
Committee. He must stand down from that committee
immediately and if he doesn’t Jeremy Corbyn must
take action to remove him.”
Labour MP Stephen Doughty hit out at Mr O’Mara’s
comments.
He said: “These comments are obviously totally
unacceptable.
“As one of the co-chairs of the LGBT PLP
(parliamentary Labour party) I raised my deep
concerns directly in person with Jared this afternoon
and I have a received a frank apology.”
In a statement released after the comments began to
emerge, O’Mara said he was “deeply ashamed” of the
comments.
“I was wrong to make them,” he added. “I understand
why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my
use of such unacceptable language. I made the
comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult
time in my life, but that is no excuse.”
O’Mara, who was born with cerebral palsy, also
complained gay people “think they have the monopoly
on being subject to abuse - they should try being
ginger…AND disabled! Can you begin to imagine how
s****y that can be?”
He added: “Christ, you plotters think you’ve got it bad,
My heart bleeds purple wee wee for you, it really
does.”
In another post he argued using “euphemisms for anal
love that can be interpreted as being derogatory by
the self-righteous and the PC brigade DOES NOT
mean I’m homophobic.”
The posts, which were published on the Guido Fawkes
blog, were made in 2002, two years before he first
stood as a Labour candidate in local elections.
In his statement, O’Mara added: “Misogyny is a deep
problem in our society. Since making those comments
15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of
power and how violent language perpetrates them.
“I continue to strive to be a better man and work
where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m
so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select
Committee. I will continue to engage with, and
crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities
groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle
misogyny.”

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