Labour members 'told to avoid criticising embattled Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara on forum'

Labour members have reportedly been told to avoid criticising Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara on a private forum, where some have apparently been calling for his deselection.
Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'MaraSheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara
Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara

The embattled Sheffield Hallam MP has been suspended by the party and remains under investigation after homophobic and misognistic comments he tweeted as a young man emerged last autumn.

He had been absent from parliament since the scandal broke, with his office saying health problems meant he was unable to attend, but he returned to the Commons this week.

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Political website Guido Fawkes today claimed party members had been asking in a private Facebook group why the investigation is taking so long.

One person apparently posted to say he should never have been selected to stand in the first place.

Members were reportedly told to stop asking questions surrounding Mr O'Mara's future, for fear the comments could leak out and damage the party - as it appears they have now done.

They were told, according to Guido Fawkes: "Could we please resist discussing Jared's situation on this forum. Although this is a closed group, information, speculation and opinion can easily leak out and be used by our opponents."

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Mr O'Mara, who ousted former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg last June, posted the offensive tweets several years ago and has apologised, saying he is a changed man.

He has also been accused of calling a bar worker an 'ugly b***h' in March last year, though he denies this happened.