Women’s Equality Party ‘occupy’ Jared O’Mara’s Sheffield office

A group gained access to the Hallam representative’s Courtwood House office on Silver Street in Sheffield city centre earlier this evening.

They say they are drawing attention to his constituent’s current lack of representation in Parliament as well as how politics habitually ignores the complaints of women who raise allegations of sexual harassment.

Sheffield branch leader, Charlotte Mead, said: “We are highlighting the fact Jared O’Mara is an absent MP. The people of Hallam are not being represented.

“He is taking public money and not going to Parliament to vote for us. He is not doing anything for his constituents who are completely powerless.”

In June 2017, Mr O’Mara unexpectedly won Sheffield Hallam for the Labour Party in one of the biggest upsets of election night.

Since then, however, he has been embroiled in scandal after scandal with allegations initially of verbal abuse and more recently of sexual harassment dogging him at every turn.

He left the Labour Party earlier this year and has been sitting as an independent since then, but finally said he would resign last month after his chief of staff described him as a ‘selfish, degenerate p***k’.

Ms Mead said she supported Mr O’Mara’s apparent decision to step down, but said there should be an easier way of removing MPs who are accused of serious misconduct.

“It is is clear he needs some support for mental health issues but that doesn’t excuse his behaviour,” she said.

“I hope he resigns for his own sake but this is what happens when politics doesn’t have a proper system for tackling misogyny and sexual harassment.”

Last week, the Sheffield Liberal Democrats offered to undertake Mr O’Mara’s casework, and the WEP have also said they will seek to help his constituents in whatever way they can.

If Mr O’Mara does resign in September, a by-election could take place as early as October, but could be held back if a general election is expected.