Jared O'Mara: How his most damning week as Sheffield Hallam MP unfolded

Jared O’Mara has announced he will resign as Sheffield Hallam MP within weeks following the most damning week of his two turbulent years in office.
Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK ParliamentSheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament
Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament

Here is how the week has unfolded:

Tuesday, July 23

Mr O’Mara’s chief of staff Gareth Arnold takes to the MP’s own official Twitter account to deliver a foul-mouthed resignation.

Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK ParliamentSheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament
Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara. Picture: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament

Mr Arnold said Sheffield Hallam ‘deserved so much better than him’ and labelled him a ‘selfish, degenerate p****.”

Wednesday, July 24

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Star publishes an exclusive interview with Mr Arnold, in which he said he felt ‘something big needed to happen’ and that he ‘couldn’t let him continue to upset and cause suffering to the people of Sheffield Hallam because he was willing to help himself to be able to help others’.

Thursday, July 25

A ‘joint statement’ is published on Mr O’Mara’s official website, in which he apologised to constituents for not being honest ‘about the depths of his depression and self-loathing’.

It also thanked Mr Arnold and described him as the ‘Noel to his Liam’ referring the Gallagher brothers.

The statement also described his struggles with mental health and offers his apologies to his friends, family, constituents and a female member of staff he claimed to be ‘in love with during a delusional episode’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Friday, July 26The ‘joint statement’ was released less than 10 hours before the allegations made by the same staff member were made public. Excerpts from a grievance letter the 20-year-old sent to Mr O’Mara last week were published on The Times’ website at midnight on Friday, and stated that his sexual harassment of her had left her feeling ‘uncomfortable to the point at which I feel I can no longer stay silent’.

When asked to comment specifically on the allegations, Mr O’Mara said: “It’s all true.”

Saturday, July 27

The ‘sexually-harassed’ female member of staff reveals some of the crude WhatsApp text messages to The Times.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr O'Mara, 37, is also alleged to have told staff “I’ll have to nickname myself ‘Thrush’ because I irritate c***s.”

In WhatsApp messages seen by The Times, Mr O'Mara allegedly told Ms Barnes he was madly in love with her, calling her an 'angel, a 'delicate little flower' and 'effortlessly pretty'.

The messages, allegedly sent at late at night or early in the morning, reportedly left the 20-year-old junior member of his staff feeling intimated, degraded and anxious.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said she never gave him any sign she was interested in him.

At lunchtime, The Star exclusively reveals that Mr O’Mara will be tendering his resignation once parliament resumes after summer recess, after the MP said ‘he was not in a fit state to continue’.

He said:” I'm not well and am in the process [of] receiving medical help. 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. I reiterate my apology to my constituents, the people of Sheffield and the people of the UK as whole.”

Related topics: