Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Jared O'Mara

Jared O'Mara
Official portrait, 2017
Member of Parliament
for Sheffield Hallam
In office
8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byNick Clegg
Succeeded byOlivia Blake
Personal details
Born
Jared Cain O'Mara

(1981-11-15) 15 November 1981 (age 43)
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England[1]
Political partyIndependent (2018–present)
Other political
affiliations
Labour (until 2018; suspended 2017–2018)
Alma materUniversity of Staffordshire
Criminal information
Criminal statusConvicted/found guilty
Conviction(s)Fraud by false representation
Criminal penalty4 years in prison

Jared Cain O'Mara (born 15 November 1981) is a British convicted fraudster and former Labour politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Hallam from 2017 to 2019.

Elected at the 2017 general election for the Labour Party, O'Mara unexpectedly won the seat from former Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.[2][3][4] In October 2017, it was revealed that O'Mara had posted misogynistic, racist and homophobic online comments before he became an MP.[5][6][7] He resigned from the Women and Equalities Select Committee,[8] and was suspended from the Labour Party.[9] After being briefly reinstated,[10] he resigned from the Labour Party in July 2018.[11]

He has cerebral palsy and hemiparesis,[12][13] and later stated that he was the first autistic MP in history.[14] O'Mara took lengthy periods of time off for mental health issues, and never asked an oral question in his two-year parliamentary career.[15] He missed key Brexit votes in the House of Commons, and showed what was described by an aide as "vile, inexcusable contempt" for constituents who called for his resignation.[16]

In July 2019, O'Mara was accused of corruption and sexual harassment.[17][18] His office was raided by police, and he was arrested but released without charge.[19] He stood down at the December 2019 general election. In February 2023, O'Mara was found guilty of six counts of fraud by false representation,[20] and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Early life and education

O'Mara was born in Sheffield on 15 November 1981.[1][21] He was educated at Tapton School, in the city's Crosspool suburb,[22] and graduated from University of Staffordshire with a first class honours degree in journalism.[23]

Before entering politics, he ran West Street Live, a bar and music venue in Sheffield, with friends.[3] He was also a local school governor and had volunteered for Sheffield-based disability information services and charities.[23]

Parliamentary career

Election

Prior to being elected, O'Mara had stood as a Labour candidate in various Sheffield council elections.[23][24][25][26] He supported Jeremy Corbyn's election as Leader of the Labour Party in 2015 and 2016.[27] At the 2017 general election, O'Mara was selected for the constituency of Sheffield Hallam in an emergency selection process for the snap election under the control of the National Executive Committee and regional boards, rather than by the local constituency party.[28] The seat had been held by former Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.[29]

O'Mara's campaign focused on disabled people's rights, protecting public services and on his personal background in Sheffield.[27] His campaign benefited from a national surge in the Labour vote and from university students in the constituency.[23][30] It was claimed Nick Clegg was thought to be too anti-Brexit by voters, although Sheffield Hallam was estimated to have voted Remain in the 2016 European Union referendum and O'Mara also supported Remain.[3] A Progress and Momentum supporter, O'Mara was backed by them during the election campaign.[31] He won the seat with a majority of 2,125 votes, overturning Clegg's previous majority of 2,353 votes. The result was considered one of the most important seat changes of the night; O'Mara had not expected to win the seat.[2][3][4] His acceptance speech called for politicians to do more to stand up for disabled people.[32]

O'Mara asked his first Parliamentary written question in October 2017.[33] During his time as an MP, he campaigned for a second referendum on Brexit and against fracking.[34] He never asked an oral question in the House of Commons.[15]

Labour whip suspension over online comments

O'Mara became a member of the Women and Equalities Select Committee in September 2017.[35] However, a series of misogynistic and homophobic online comments posted by O'Mara over a decade before he became an MP were revealed by the Guido Fawkes site on 23 October 2017.[5][36][9] He commented about the Girls Aloud pop group: "I advise you to sack Sarah and the remaining four members (Nicola, Cheryl, Nadine and Kimberley) come have an orgy with me"; and said the 2003 winner of Pop Idol, Michelle McManus, had "only won because she was fat".[5][6][37] He had also referred to gay men as "poofters" and "fudge packers", and referred to jazz musician Jamie Cullum as a "conceited cunt" who should be "sodomised with his own piano".[6][7][38] O'Mara apologised "if his comments caused offence" and resigned from the Women and Equalities Select Committee.[8][6][38] In a later speech, O'Mara said the homophobic words he used were part of an Eminem record he listened to at the time.[39]

The following day, O'Mara was accused by Sophie Evans, a Sheffield bar worker whom he had met through an online dating app, on BBC Two's Daily Politics of having "made transphobic slurs" towards her in March 2017, and of saying in the same incident that she was an "ugly bitch".[40][41] O'Mara denied the allegation.[42] On the same day, it also emerged that he had been posting derogatory comments about children in Sheffield and appeared to advocate corporal punishment to deal with delinquent youth.[43] Following the emergence of the comments to Evans, the Labour Party announced an investigation into O'Mara's conduct but stopped short of suspending him from the party.[44]

Further revelations were made public on 25 October 2017. He was found to have used racist insults on a Morrissey fan site in 2002, saying that Danes were "pig shaggers" who "practised bestiality" and referring to Spaniards as "dagos".[45][46] O'Mara, when reviewing the Arctic Monkeys in November 2004, made several sexual comments including how "sexy little slags" danced to the band's songs.[47] These revelations resulted in O'Mara being suspended from the Labour Party and therefore having the party whip withdrawn.[9] After the party whip was suspended, O'Mara cancelled his constituency surgery and would not speak publicly again for some months afterwards.[48] It also came to light that O'Mara was a member of a band called Dirty Rotten Troubadours. A song by the band emerged, allegedly sung by O'Mara, contained the lyrics: "I wish I were a misogynist / I'd put her in her place / I wish I were a misogynist / I'd smash her in her face."[49]

Disabilities

O'Mara has stated that he has cerebral palsy and hemiparesis.[12][13] He claimed in July 2018, after resigning his membership of the Labour Party, that he is on the autism spectrum and believed that he was the first autistic MP in history.[14] It was claimed that the buildings of the House of Commons therefore presented problems for O'Mara as the standards of the Equality Act 2010 had not been met.[50] In June 2017, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow allowed MPs not to wear ties in the House of Commons,[51] a decision welcomed by O'Mara, who stated that cerebral palsy made it difficult for him to knot and wear a tie.[34] O'Mara said he would not have run for election had he known these difficulties before becoming an MP.[34] O'Mara supported a zero-tolerance policy on shouting and heckling, saying that he could not attend Prime Minister's Questions because of his anxiety triggered by aggression in the chamber.[34][52] O'Mara also supported exempting members from interventions during speeches, introducing proxy voting and allowing MPs to make speeches to the House of Commons via online video-stream.[34]

In December 2017, a press statement explained O'Mara would be on leave of absence on the advice of his general practitioner, who had discouraged him from attending Parliament, although O'Mara would continue to deal with his constituent casework.[53]

After three months' absence, O'Mara returned to the House of Commons on 17 January 2018 and voted on the report stage of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.[54]

On 18 July 2018, O'Mara announced he would step back from his parliamentary duties on the advice of his GP.[55] This coincided with a series of crucial votes on the Brexit negotiations, for which reason O'Mara had unsuccessfully applied to vote by proxy.[14][56] In March 2019, O'Mara was absent for another series of key Brexit votes, having had an injury in the shower. After facing calls from his constituents to resign, O'Mara likened them to "a hooligan on the terraces threatening the referee whilst drinking flat lager and smelling of processed meats."[57][58] He was ranked by constituents across the United Kingdom as the 5th-worst sitting MP by a Change.org poll in 2019.[59][60]

Reinstatement and resignation from Labour Party

On 3 July 2018, it was announced that O'Mara would be readmitted to the Labour Party, following a review by its National Executive Committee disputes panel. This review had decided to issue O'Mara a formal warning with a mandatory requirement to attend training, rather than refer the issue to the National Constitutional Committee which has the power to expel members.[10] The decision was criticised by local Liberal Democrats, the closest challengers to Labour in Sheffield Hallam.[61] In an interview with ITV following his readmission, O'Mara said he had made three attempts on his life during his suspension and had developed an anxiety disorder.[13][62][63] He restated his apology and asked for forgiveness from his constituents and the country. He refused to call a by-election and promised to make his maiden speech in July 2018.[13] He made his maiden speech on 24 July 2018,[64] the day before the start of the summer recess.[15] He was the 84th and final MP of the 2017 intake to make a maiden speech; the 83rd, David Duguid, spoke in November 2017.[65][66][67]

On 12 July 2018, O'Mara announced his resignation from the Labour Party.[11][68][69] He said that he had "not been listened to or given a fair investigation" following his suspension, and that the party "no longer shares [his] commitment to the true definition of equality and compassion."[11][68] Offering to help constituents with casework, he suggested that he would not step down as an MP.[70] Despite his resignation, the Labour Party affirmed that it would continue to provide support for O'Mara; this was on the orders of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was concerned for O'Mara's welfare.[71][72][56] In October 2018, O'Mara said the Labour Party had only made one adjustment for him, namely moving his office closer to the Commons chamber.[52]

In a July 2019 statement, O'Mara said he had never been reinstated to the party, and that Corbyn had made "false reports about me being a mental health danger around parliament" after O'Mara had complained about not being able to arrange a meeting with the former's office.[4]

Staff resignations

In March 2019, two of his aides resigned; he fired a further two members of staff, and a fifth resigned in solidarity.[59] Three of the aides later took O'Mara to an employment tribunal over claims regarding holiday entitlement and breach of contract. After they accused him of using his mental health as an excuse to avoid difficult situations, he accused one of the aides of being "ableist".[73] O'Mara's mother wrote to the court in June 2019 to say that her son was "destitute and penniless".[74]

On 24 April 2019, O'Mara suspended constituent casework for a month, pending the move to a new constituency office and recruitment of new staff to replace the loss of his original team.[58][75][76]

Sexual harassment allegation

On 27 July 2019, it was reported that O'Mara had sexually harassed a 20-year-old employee. O'Mara had sent WhatsApp messages to the employee, often late at night, in which he revealed his love for her, calling her "an angel", "a delicate little flower" and "effortlessly pretty".[77][78] In a separate message to his constituency staff, O'Mara accused the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for his seat of believing in eugenics, and claimed that she had repressed sexual feelings for him.[18]

Allegations of corruption

Following the staff resignations, in May 2019,[79] O'Mara hired blogger and digital marketer Gareth Arnold as his new chief of staff.[80] Under the pseudonyms 'Gareth Arnoult' and 'Geoff Stevens', Arnold had previously achieved some internet notability[81][82][83] for setting up popular satirical fake news sites Britain Furst (satirising Britain First) and BFNN,[84][85] and for a legal dispute with LADBible which the group withdrew.[86][87] Arnold and O'Mara first met when O'Mara was managing the West Street Live bar, before his election.[88]

On 23 July 2019, Arnold announced his resignation on O'Mara's Twitter account and criticised the MP.[89][17] Arnold said that O'Mara was "the most disgustingly morally bankrupt person [he had] ever had the displeasure of working with" and had shown "vile, inexcusable contempt" for his constituents. He told O'Mara to call a by-election.[16][81]

On 25 July 2019, O'Mara released a public statement, apologising "to everybody for everything". He said that he had been "bullied and mistreated" and "wasn't even meant to win the election", and claimed to have received "no support" from the Labour Party for his campaign. He said that he would be "taking time out to...deal with my mental health and personal issues regarding self-medication".[4]

An investigation by the BBC revealed that Arnold was still working for O'Mara two weeks following his resignation, having "extended his notice period", and that staff hired in O'Mara's office had not received the security clearance required by parliamentary authorities.[90]

Arnold referred O'Mara to the police in July 2019 over his expenses,[91][92][93] after which the police raided O'Mara's office, seizing documents and computers.[19] In mid-August 2019, O'Mara and Arnold were arrested on suspicion of fraud but released a day later subject to further investigation.[94][91][19] In the criminal prosecution after O'Mara left office, Arnold was jointly charged with six of O'Mara's fraud offences.[92][95]

In October 2019, one of O'Mara's constituents made a formal complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, alleging O'Mara had failed to act in the public interest and had used public money for his own benefit, and calling for a full investigation into his affairs.[96]

Standing down

In July 2019, O'Mara said he would stand for re-election at the next general election,[97] but later said he would stand down from the House of Commons after the 2019 parliamentary summer recess.[98][99] He voted for the "Letwin amendment" and against the government during the special sitting of Parliament on 19 October 2019.[100][101] Postponing his resignation until after October 2019,[102] he eventually stood down at the December 2019 general election.[103] He was succeeded as MP for Sheffield Hallam by Olivia Blake, the Labour Party candidate.[104]

After leaving Parliament

Revocation of parliamentary pass

In April 2021, the Parliamentary Independent Expert Panel, which determines "appeals and sanctions in cases where complaints have been brought against MPs of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct",[105] removed O'Mara's right to hold a parliamentary pass, meaning that he lost access to the Palace of Westminster.[106] The report found that Ms Jennifer Barnes, who reported him, "felt and was subject to escalating behaviours that constitute sexual harassment" by O'Mara,[107] and determined that

in light of the aggravating features, in particular the lack of remorse or insight and the refusal to engage, that the withdrawal of the Responder's [O'Mara's] right to a pass is the only appropriate and proportionate sanction that will mark the seriousness of the misconduct, address the harm caused to the Reporter by the Responder's misconduct, and send a signal about the misconduct which declares and upholds standards of behaviour.[108]

Criminal prosecution

On 19 August 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that O'Mara had been charged with seven counts of fraud by false representation.[109][110] On 24 September 2021, O'Mara pleaded not guilty to those counts and an additional charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.[111] Arnold, who referred O'Mara to the police for the expenses in July 2019,[91][92][93] was jointly charged with six of O'Mara's fraud offences.[92][95]

In January 2023, on the first day of his trial at Leeds Crown Court, prosecutors alleged that O'Mara had attempted to claim falsely nearly £30,000 in a bid to fund "a significant cocaine habit".[92][93][95][112] The court was shown messages between Arnold and O'Mara referencing O'Mara "do[ing] cocaine instead of going to Parliament".[113]

£19,400 of the claims related to a fictitious charity, Confident About Autism South Yorkshire;[92][93] the postcode given for the organisation corresponded with a McDonald's branch in Hillsborough.[114][115][116] Additionally, O'Mara was accused of submitting to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority two invoices from Arnold for work he never completed.[92][93][114] These invoices were either rejected or not processed.[88][93]

A former case worker, who later took O'Mara to employment tribunal, told the court that O'Mara attended his Sheffield office "once, possibly twice" between November 2018 and April 2019, cancelled and missed parliamentary appointments, and showed signs of drug use at a meeting in February 2019. He also said that he protested to O'Mara when the MP approved contracts without prior vetting from the parliamentary authorities.[117][118][119]

In his examination, Arnold told the court that O'Mara's election was "a massive shock", and that the MP became convinced that the Speaker, John Bercow, "had it in for him" and refused his expenses. Arnold said that the work he provided O'Mara was genuine, and that he would offer O'Mara media training by roleplaying as Jeremy Paxman.[88][120] His second invoice was a "retainer" so that O'Mara could call him at any time. He said that he decided to resign after suspecting that O'Mara had drunk a litre of vodka before a BBC Look North interview that Arnold had arranged.[88] He accused O'Mara of smoking sixty cigarettes a day at one stage.[114][121] Arnold also told the court that O'Mara had submitted subject access requests to the Labour Party and Unite the Union, with a view to suing them under data protection law.[88]

O'Mara's defence said that he failed to follow the correct processes because of administrative ignorance.[114] They said that his claims were ignorant or incompetent, rather than dishonest, and that he believed that he was entitled to submit them given the genuine assistance he received.[122] The defence further asked jurors to consider the effects of his mental health and autism.[114][122] O'Mara declined to give evidence at the trial.[122][123]

On 8 February 2023, O'Mara was found guilty of six counts of fraud, and not guilty of two counts. Arnold was found guilty on three counts of fraud, and not guilty on a further three.[20] Of the counts of which O'Mara was cleared, one related to employing a friend, John Woodliff, as a constituency support officer. Woodliff had been jointly charged with one count of fraud,[92][93][114] for which he was cleared.[20] On 9 February 2023, O'Mara was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Arnold was handed a fifteen-month term, suspended for two years.[124][125] On 26 September 2023, O'Mara's appeal against his sentence was denied by the Court of Appeal.[126]

References

  1. ^ a b "O'Mara, Jared". Who's Who. Vol. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 14 February 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b Bodkin, Henry (9 June 2017). "Nick Clegg 'loses seat' amid Liberal Democrat slump in Sheffield Hallam". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Cooke, Rachel (18 June 2017). "Jared O'Mara, the pub-owning first-time MP who won Nick Clegg's seat". The Observer. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "Statement regarding my mental health and recent events". Jared O'Mara MP. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Labour MP Jared O'Mara quits select committee role over offensive online comments". ITV News. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d Elgot, Jessica (23 October 2017). "Labour MP quits equality committee over homophobic posts". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b Maguire, Patrick (23 October 2017). "Labour MP facing dismissal from equalities post invited Girls Aloud to have an orgy in misogynist online posts". The Times. Retrieved 23 October 2017. (subscription required)
  8. ^ a b "Jared O'Mara: Labour MP resigns from equalities committee after series of sexist comments revealed". The Independent. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  9. ^ a b c "Labour suspends MP Jared O'Mara after online comments". BBC News. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b Elgot, Jessica (3 July 2018). "Labour reinstates suspended MP Jared O'Mara". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  11. ^ a b c "Reinstated MP quits Labour Party". BBC News. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  12. ^ a b "A bit about me – Jared O'Mara". Sheffield Labour Party. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d "Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara reveals he tried to take his own life during Labour Party suspension". ITV News. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  14. ^ a b c Blackledge, Richard (17 July 2018). "Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara cuts back work in Westminster on doctor's orders days after quitting Labour". The Star. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  15. ^ a b c "House of Commons recess dates". Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  16. ^ a b Pidd, Helen; Halliday, Josh (24 July 2019). "Jared O'Mara urged to quit as MP after aide's angry resignation". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  17. ^ a b Peace, Lee (23 July 2019). "Employee of Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara brands politician 'selfish, degenerate p****' in Twitter rant". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 24 July 2019.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ a b Wilkinson, Sophie; Norfolk, Andrew (27 July 2019). "Crude texts of Jared O'Mara in 'sex harassment' scandal". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  19. ^ a b c Smith, Mikey (23 August 2019). "Jared O'Mara MP arrested on suspicion of fraud". mirror. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  20. ^ a b c "Jared O'Mara: Former MP found guilty of fraudulent expenses claims". BBC News. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Biography for Jared O'Mara". MyParliament.
  22. ^ Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert. The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017.
  23. ^ a b c d Howes, Scarlet (9 June 2017). "Meet MP Jared O'Mara who ousted Nick Clegg in shock election result". The Mirror. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  24. ^ "2004 Sheffield Council election results". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  25. ^ "2015 Sheffield Council election results". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  26. ^ "2016 Sheffield Council election results". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  27. ^ a b Taylor, Harry (1 June 2017). "Labour's Hallam candidate says Liberal Democrat's Nick Clegg doesn't care about Sheffield". South Yorkshire Briefing. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  28. ^ "General election 2017: Can parties select candidates in time?". BBC News. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  29. ^ Moore, Alex (2 May 2017). "Labour selects Jared O'Mara to challenge Nick Clegg in Sheffield". The Star. Sheffield. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  30. ^ Horton, Helena (9 June 2017). "First-time MP who beat Nick Clegg 'bought a new suit from Tesco' as shock result emerged". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Campaign Training Session: Sunday 14th May – Crookes". Momentum Sheffield. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  32. ^ Windham, Dan (12 June 2017). "This response from first time Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara to a career advisor twenty years ago is inspiring". The Star. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  33. ^ "Search for in the 'Written Answers' speaker:Jared O'Mara". TheyWorkForYou.
  34. ^ a b c d e Singh, Arj (1 March 2019). "Disabled Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara opens up on his battle to adjust to life in Westminster". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2019.[permanent dead link]
  35. ^ "Jared O'Mara MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  36. ^ Elgot, Jessica (24 October 2017). "Labour MP who posted offensive comments 'merits second chance'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  37. ^ Minelle, Bethany (23 October 2017). "Labour MP Jared O'Mara says he's 'ashamed' of derogatory remarks about celebrities". Sky News. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  38. ^ a b "Labour MP mocked 'fudge packers and poofters' and lashed out at gay 'heterophobes'". Pink News. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  39. ^ Maine, Samantha (24 October 2018). "Former MP Jared O'Mara apologises and blames Eminem for his 'homophobic' comments". NME. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  40. ^ Mann, Sebastian; Proctor, Kate (24 October 2017). "Jared O'Mara: Under fire Labour MP called woman 'ugly b****' just weeks before he was elected". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  41. ^ Walker, Peter (24 October 2017). "Woman claims MP Jared O'Mara verbally abused her this year". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  42. ^ Horton, Helena (24 October 2017). "Jared O'Mara refuses to resign over sexist comments – but suggests Conservatives who make same remarks should step down". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  43. ^ "Jared O'Mara Said Sheffield Children Are Into Smoking Crack And Stealing From Charity Boxes". www.buzzfeed.com. 24 October 2017.
  44. ^ Buchan, Lizzie (24 October 2017). "Labour Party announces investigation into Jared O'Mara MP over verbal abuse claims". The Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  45. ^ Maguire, Patrick (25 October 2017). "Labour MP Jared O'Mara's 'sexist abuse of barmaid'". The Times. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  46. ^ Buchan, Lizzie (25 October 2017). "Jared O'Mara: Labour MP suspended by party after series of offensive comments revealed". The Independent. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  47. ^ Proctor, Kate (25 October 2017). "Jared O'Mara suspended by Labour Party in storm over online post calling girls 'sexy slags'". Evening Standard.
  48. ^ Burn, Chris (15 January 2018). "Sheffield's missing MP: How Jared O'Mara's political dream became a nightmare". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  49. ^ Ma, Alexandra. "The misogynist, racist, homophobic, fat-shaming online comments that got a British MP suspended". Business Insider. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  50. ^ Pring, John (6 July 2017). "Disabled MP forced to miss Commons debates because he has nowhere to sit". Disability News Service. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  51. ^ "Bercow: MPs don't need to wear ties". BBC News. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  52. ^ a b Singh, Arj (23 October 2018). "Autistic Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara reveals he cannot attend Prime Minister's Questions due to the shouting and aggression". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 April 2019.[permanent dead link]
  53. ^ "MP Jared O'Mara advised by GP not to attend Parliament". BBC News. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  54. ^ Line, Harriet; Lister, Sam (17 January 2018). "Jared O'Mara: Labour MP returns to Commons after suspension for homophobic and sexist tweets". The Independent. Press Association. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  55. ^ "MP to cut back duties on health grounds". BBC News. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  56. ^ a b O'Callaghan, Niall (18 July 2018). "Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara cuts back Westminster duties on health grounds". forgetoday.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  57. ^ Cooper, Sam (8 April 2019). "'I will not be resigning' – pressure mounts on Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara to stand down". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  58. ^ a b Cooper, Sam (24 April 2019). "'I'm no Alan Sugar' – Sheffield MP on claims he sacked staff and locked office doors". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  59. ^ a b "Jared O'Mara urged to quit as MP after aide's angry resignation". The Guardian. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  60. ^ "Every UK MP has been ranked from best to worst in new 'People-Power Index' – this is how yours scored". www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  61. ^ "Labour reinstates suspended MP O'Mara". BBC News. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  62. ^ "MP's suicide attempts after suspension". BBC News. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  63. ^ Parveen, Nazia (11 July 2018). "Labour MP reveals suicide attempts after storm over past tweets". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  64. ^ "Summer Adjournment – Hansard". Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  65. ^ "Opposition calls for universal credit changes". BBC News. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  66. ^ Kidd, Patrick (26 October 2017). "Tie privilege is wasted on Commons ghost". The Times. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  67. ^ "The Yorkshire Post says: Jared O'Mara is betraying faith of Sheffield voters". Yorkshire Post. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  68. ^ a b O'Mara, Jared (12 July 2018). "An open letter to my constituents". Jared O'Mara MP. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  69. ^ McGuinness, Alan (12 July 2018). "Labour MP Jared O'Mara quits party and hits out at treatment over suspension". Sky News. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  70. ^ Khan, Shehab (12 July 2018). "Jared O'Mara quits Labour Party over handling of homophobic and sexist tweets scandal". The Independent. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  71. ^ "Labour will continue to provide support for now independent MP Jared O'Mara". ITV News. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  72. ^ Blow, John (16 July 2018). "Labour to 'continue offer of support' to Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  73. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Sheffield MP calls ex-staff 'ableist', tribunal hears". BBC News. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  74. ^ Pritchard, Jonathan (30 October 2019). "Jared O'Mara refutes claims he fell back on ill health as an 'easy excuse' during tribunal". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  75. ^ "MP suspends all casework 'for weeks'". BBC News. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  76. ^ Bates, Liz (24 April 2019). "Jared O'Mara shuts his office for a month after losing all his staff". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  77. ^ Bazaraa, Danya; Higgens, Dave (27 July 2019). "MP Jared O'Mara 'sexually harassed female employee who can no longer be silent'". mirror. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  78. ^ Pidd, Helen (26 July 2019). "Jared O'Mara to take time out for mental health problems". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  79. ^ Cooper, Sam (23 July 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara's former aide Gareth Arnold explains decision to quit in foul-mouthed Twitter rant". The Star. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  80. ^ Burke, Darren (13 June 2019). "Sheffield MP Jared O'Mara misses key Brexit vote – because he's banned from wearing shorts and vest in parliament". The Star. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  81. ^ a b "MP's Twitter used for angry resignation". BBC News. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  82. ^ Sommers, Jack (1 February 2017). "'British First' Parody Account Gains More Traction Than Britain First". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  83. ^ Haynes, Gavin (25 March 2015). "This British Satirical News Network Is at War with the Far-Right and Far-Left". www.vice.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  84. ^ Jama, Deek Hussain (7 November 2016). "Britain Furst: a political parody of the UK". Artefact. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  85. ^ Bartlett, Evan (12 November 2015). "The man trolling Britain First, one ridiculous meme at a time | indy100 | indy100". www.indy100.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  86. ^ Williams, Christopher (15 October 2015). "The Lad Bible apologises after threatening to sue blogger". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  87. ^ Glass, Katie (18 August 2019). "What's next for LadBible in the #MeToo era?". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  88. ^ a b c d e Corcoran, Sophie (31 January 2023). "'You're not getting anymore chop' chief of staff told MP Jared O'Mara". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  89. ^ Arnold, Gareth. "Jared O'Mara on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  90. ^ Sofos, Dino (9 August 2019). "Who runs an absent MP's office?". Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  91. ^ a b c Menendez, Elisa (23 August 2019). "Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara 'arrested for fraud'". Metro. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  92. ^ a b c d e f g h "Former Labour MP Jared O'Mara tried to claim taxpayers' cash to fund 'significant cocaine habit', court hears". Sky News. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  93. ^ a b c d e f g "Jared O'Mara: MP made fake expense claims to fund cocaine use, court told". BBC News. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  94. ^ Sofos, Dino; Damon, Poppy; Bonham, Sam (23 August 2019). "MP Jared O'Mara arrested in fraud probe". Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  95. ^ a b c "Jared O'Mara: Fraud-accused MP non-existent in office, jury told". BBC News. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  96. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Formal complaint made against Sheffield MP". BBC News. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  97. ^ "MP vows to stand again despite vote criticism". BBC News. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  98. ^ Cooper, Sam (27 July 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: Jared O'Mara to resign as Sheffield Hallam MP". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  99. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Sheffield MP to resign from Parliament". BBC News. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  100. ^ "Reaction as MPs tell PM to ask for Brexit delay". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  101. ^ "Mr Letwin's Amendment (a) to the Government's motion on section 1(1)(a) of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No.2) Act 2019 and section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 – CommonsVotes". commonsvotes.digiminster.com. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  102. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Sheffield MP 'postpones' resignation". BBC News. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  103. ^ "General election 2019: Jared O'Mara will not defend Sheffield Hallam seat", BBC News, 14 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  104. ^ "Sheffield Hallam Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  105. ^ "Independent Expert Panel". UK Parliament. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  106. ^ Scott, Geraldine (19 April 2021). "Inappropriate messages sent to staff member by former MP Jared O'Mara amounted to 'abuse of power' and broke sexual harassment policy". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  107. ^ Independent Expert Panel. "The Conduct of Mr Jared O'Mara" (PDF). House of Commons. Retrieved 20 April 2021. Section 1.6, p. 2,
  108. ^ Independent Expert Panel. "The Conduct of Mr Jared O'Mara" (PDF). House of Commons. Retrieved 20 April 2021. Section 1.11, p. 3
  109. ^ Allegretti, Aubrey (19 August 2021). "Former MP Jared O'Mara charged with seven counts of fraud". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  110. ^ "Former Sheffield Hallam MP Jared O'Mara charged with making fraudulent invoices". Yorkshire Post. Press Association. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  111. ^ Neilan, Catherine (24 September 2021). "Boris Johnson poised to relax visa rules amid lorry driver shortage". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  112. ^ Vinter, Robyn (23 January 2023). "Ex-MP Jared O'Mara made up expenses claims to fund cocaine habit, court told". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  113. ^ Dickinson, Katie (26 January 2023). "Ex-MP accused of fraud 'was thousands of pounds in debt to drug dealer'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  114. ^ a b c d e f Brown, Mark (2 February 2023). "Jared O'Mara 'thoroughly rotten', prosecutor in fraud trial says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  115. ^ Marshall, Sarah (31 January 2023). "Ex-Sheffield Hallam MP accused of fraud racked up thousands of pounds of debt with drug dealer, jury told". The Star. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  116. ^ Marshall, Sarah (5 February 2023). "Jared O'Mara: Ex-Sheffield MP's co-accused denies submitting fake invoices for time spent 'doing cocaine'". The Star. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  117. ^ Dickinson, Katie (25 January 2023). "Ex-MP Jared O'Mara accused of fraud 'went to constituency office once or twice in six months'". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  118. ^ "Ex-MP accused of fraud 'went to constituency office once or twice in six months'". ITV News. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  119. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Fraud-accused MP was in debt with dealer, court told". BBC News. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  120. ^ Brown, Mark (31 January 2023). "Jared O'Mara's election victory was massive shock, ex-aide tells court". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  121. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Fraud-accused MP's drug use an open secret – court". BBC News. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  122. ^ a b c "Jared O'Mara: Ex-MP was incompetent not dishonest, jury told". BBC News. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  123. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Fraud-accused ex-MP decides not to give evidence". BBC News. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  124. ^ Airey, Tom (9 February 2023). "Jared O'Mara: Former MP jailed over £52,000 fraud to pay drug debt". BBC News.
  125. ^ Mathers, Matt (9 February 2023). "Ex Labour MP Jared O'Mara jailed for fraud to fund 'extensive' cocaine habit". The Independent. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  126. ^ "Jared O'Mara: Former MP fails in legal bid to appeal fraud sentence". BBC News. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam
20172019
Succeeded by