Labour MP Jared O'Mara denies calling woman 'ugly bitch' months before 2016 election

Man who ousted Nick Clegg in Sheffield Hallam 'categorically' denies having used the insult

Under-fire Labour MP Jared O’Mara has denied a constituent’s claim that he called her an “ugly bitch” just months before his election.

Mr O’Mara resigned from his position on the Commons Women and Equalities Committee on Monday in a row over derogatory online comments posted more than a decade ago.

But he “categorically denies” the more recent claims from Sophie Evans, who claimed he was abusive to her in March this year.

Mr O’Mara won the Sheffield Hallam seat in June, ousting former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Ms Evans told BBC Two’s Daily Politics programme that some of the comments made by Mr O’Mara in March “aren’t broadcastable”.

“There were some transphobic slurs in there, but he called me an ugly bitch,” she said.

“I just thought ‘Wow, he’s not a very nice man’ and just forgot about it. I knew that he was involved in politics but I had no idea at the time he was running for MP for Sheff Hallam, which is my constituency.”

She added: “I just kind of thought that someone like that couldn’t possibly be that heavily involved.”

Ms Evans dismissed Mr O’Mara’s claims that he had changed in the years since his online posts, which dated from the early 2000s.

She said: “Fair enough for him to have said that about 15 years ago, but he won’t even acknowledge something that happened seven months ago.

“He never apologised to me or my friends that were involved in the situation. He has called us liars in the press, he has been on radio and called us liars.

“I just find it very, very hard to believe that he has changed.

“I think he thinks [we couldn't] possibly affect his political career [as] we are just bar workers at a backstreet pub — we couldn’t possibly have any impact on him.”

A spokesman for Mr O’Mara said: “He categorically denies the latest allegations.”

In an interview with online magazine Huck, Mr O’Mara said he had made a “full and unreserved” apology to Labour MPs about the online remarks and felt “deeply ashamed” of his past comments.

“Overwhelmingly people accepted my apology, accepted my sincerity and remorse, they accepted I have been through a journey of education,” he said.

“I’ve stood down from the Women and Equalities Select Committee too — I think it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think I can continue on that committee when I feel so deeply ashamed of the man I was 15 years ago.”

In online posts, Mr O’Mara joked about having an orgy with members of Girls Aloud, claimed Michelle McManus only won Pop Idol “because she was fat” and suggested it would be funny if jazz star Jamie Cullum was “sodomised with his own piano”.

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He recognised those views were absolutely abhorrent and wrong and he changed those views. And 15 years on he is not the Jared that made those comments some years ago.”

But former shadow cabinet minister Chris Leslie told Daily Politics: “I think any allegations have to be explored and put to people.

“We have a system in the House of Commons, if people within our political party fall out of the conduct that is expected then there are consequences that flow from that.”

PA