Office of Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya explains reason she missed Brexit votes

Fiona Onasanya arrives at her home in Peterborough.
Picture by Terry Harris. THA THA — Fiona Onasanya arrives at her home in Peterborough. Picture by Terry Harris. THA THA

MPs voted in the Commons on Thursday to call for an extension to Article 50 to delay the UK’s from the EU.

They also voted against: holding a second referendum, allowing MPs to take over the process of delivering Brexit and a Labour amendment for MPs to spend Commons time to reach a majority on a different approach to the Government’s.

North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara was present for the votes, but MS Onasanya was listed as abstaining.

The recently jailed independent MP has previously missed votes on Brexit but had been present on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to reject both the Prime Minister’s deal and no deal.

Her office has today (Friday, March 15) confirmed that her failure to vote was due to her receiving medical attention for the onset of a possible relapse of neurological condition Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Ms Onasanya’s condition was first revealed during a trial at the Old Bailey late last year.

The MP was on trial for allegedly lying about who was driving her Nissan Micra when it was caught speeding in Thorney.

She was later found unanimously guilty following a re-trial and served four weeks of a three month sentence.

She has yet to speak publicly about her conviction despite repeated requests from the Peterborough Telegraph.

A Recall Petition to remove her as MP opens on Tuesday.

The petition was automatically launched after Ms Onasanya failed to overturn her conviction.

If 10 per cent of her constituents (6,967 people) sign the petition within a six week period then she will lose her seat and a by-election will be triggered.

The MP was expelled by the Labour the day after her conviction and is currently sitting as an independent.