Bob Stewart is launching an appeal against his conviction for a racially aggravated public order offence. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring made the ruling in relation to a heated exchange in 2022 in which a protestor shouted: “Bob Stewart, for how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?” Stewart’s response: “Go away, I hate you. You make a lot of fuss. Go back to Bahrain…. Now shut up, you stupid man.” Many thought the ruling was harsh…

In the meantime Stewart has given up the whip and announced he’s standing down as a Tory MP in marginal Beckenham. He will presumably make use of the £19,000 raised by the public in his defence…