By Ben Kerrigan-
The Conservative Party has reinstated Bob Stewart, the MP for Beckenham, South-East London, after his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence was overturned.
The decision has been met with strong criticism, particularly from Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, the victim of Stewart’s offensive remarks, who has labeled the move “shameful.”
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The incident in question occurred in 2023, outside the Foreign Office’s Lancaster House in Westminster. Stewart, then a Conservative MP, was involved in a heated exchange with Alwadaei, a Bahraini dissident who fled his homeland in 2012 after being tortured by authorities.
During the confrontation, Stewart told Alwadaei to “go back to Bahrain,” comments that led to his resignation from the Conservative whip after being convicted for a racially aggravated offence last November.
However, in February of this year, Southwark Crown Court overturned the conviction.
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The court acknowledged that while Stewart’s comments were abusive, they did not amount to “harassment, alarm or distress” as defined by law.
Despite the legal outcome, the decision to restore Stewart’s whip has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Alwadaei, 37, expressed his deep disappointment, stating, “It’s shameful to see the whip getting restored to him.
It gives a clear message that the Conservative Party will reward abusive comments by their MPs.”
Stewart’s controversial comments were made during an event hosted by the Bahraini embassy. Alwadaei, who was protesting at the time, accused Stewart of being complicit with the Bahraini regime, to which Stewart responded aggressively. In footage from the incident, Stewart can be heard telling Alwadaei, “Go away, I hate you. You make a lot of fuss. Go back to Bahrain,” and “get stuffed, Bahrain’s a great place, end of.”
Alwadaei has been vocal in his efforts to hold Stewart accountable, writing to the Conservative Party chairman, Richard Holden, in April to reconsider the dismissal of his complaint. Alwadaei argued that the Conservatives’ Code of Conduct, which mandates that holders of public office must not “bully, abuse, victimise, harass or unlawfully discriminate against others,” should apply regardless of the legal outcome.
“The party should hold itself to a higher standard. It shows a complete disregard to the impact on the victim,” Alwadaei said, reacting to the news of the whip’s restoration.
A Conservative Party spokesman defended the decision, stating, “Colonel Bob Stewart had his conviction quashed on appeal, with the judge concluding that there was no evidence that any upset, alarm or distress was caused. The whip was restored accordingly.”
Bob Stewart, 74, has announced he will be standing down at the next General Election. However, the controversy surrounding his reinstatement raises questions about the party’s commitment to maintaining high ethical standards and addressing the concerns of those affected by their MPs’ actions.
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