Conservative MP Bob Stewart has pleaded not guilty to racially abusing a man after he allegedly told him to “go back to Bahrain”.
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after a complaint was made by activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, who has said he is living in exile after being tortured in the Gulf state.
The MP for Beckenham in south-east London is alleged to have told Mr Alwadaei during an angry confrontation on December 14 last year to “get stuffed” and that he is “taking money off my country”.
The Met charged the 74-year-old politician with a racially aggravated public order offence over the incident outside the Foreign Office’s Lancaster House.
Stewart appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (July 19) to plead not guilty to the charge.
The MP also denied an alternative count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
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