Kate Osamor quits as shadow international development secretary
Labour frontbencher says she is stepping down to concentrate on supporting her family
Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor has resigned from the Labour front bench.
In a statement posted on her Twitter feed, Ms Osamor said was stepping down to “concentrate on supporting my family at this difficult time”.
The announcement follows a report that the Edmonton MP verbally abused a journalist from The Times who sought to question her about a court case involving her son.
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I have accepted Kate Osamor’s resignation and would like to thank her for her work as our shadow secretary of state for international development.
“She brought a new dimension to the role by committing Labour to tackling global inequality as well as poverty as part of building a world for the many not the few.
“I know Kate will take this time to support her family, work for her constituents and support our party’s efforts to rebuild Britain from the backbenches.”
Edmonton Labour Party tweeted: “Kate we know you will continue to be a fantastic MP, sticking up for the people of Edmonton.”
The announcement comes after The Times reported that one of its journalists had approached Ms Osamor at her home to ask her about her son Ishmael after he was sentenced on drugs charges.
She is said to have told the reporter that she “should have come down here with a bat and smashed your face in”.
In her statement Ms Osamor said: “I am resigning my position as shadow international development secretary to concentrate on supporting my family through the difficult time we have been experiencing.
“I remain fully committed to our programme for creating a society that works for the many, not the privileged few, and will continue to campaign for this from the backbenches.”
Ishamel Osamor pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court to four counts of possession with intent to supply cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and cannabis.
On October 19 he was sentenced to a two-year community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity days and ordered to pay £400 prosecution costs.
The Times reported that the prosecution accepted that he was looking after the drugs for friends and not selling them.
