Convicted MP Bob Stewart to Step Down

Stewart, found guilty of racial abuse, announces he will not seek re-election.

Bob Stewart, MP for Beckenham, has announced he will not seek re-election following his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence.
Stewart was convicted after telling activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei to 'go back to Bahrain' during a confrontation outside an event hosted by the Bahraini Embassy.
Despite his conviction, a crowdfunding page set up to cover Stewart's legal costs and fine has raised more than £18,000.
Stewart, who served as a United Nations commander in Bosnia and was stationed in Bahrain as an Army officer in the 1960s, currently sits as an independent MP in the House of Commons.
The geographical boundary of the Beckenham constituency is expected to change at the next general election, with a new constituency of Beckenham and Penge proposed.