Bob Stewart, a Conservative Party Member of Parliament representing Beckenham in London, was convicted Friday of racially aggravated public disorder over an outburst in which he told a refugee he hated him and that he should "Go back to Bahrain." Stewart's on-camera rant, directed at Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, included other gems such as "you're taking money off my country, go away." Stewart, who said he was "deeply hurt at having to appear in a court like this," was fined £600 (~$742) and ordered to pay court costs of £835 (~$1,033)
Alwadaei has refugee status in the UK after being made stateless by Bahrain over his criticism of its autocratic regime.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard the 74-year-old had been attending an event hosted by the Bahraini Embassy when Mr Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, shouted: "Bob Stewart, for how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?"
Stewart replied: "Go away, I hate you. You make a lot of fuss. Go back to Bahrain."
The Conservative Party did not take action against Stewart, even after when he was charged with a crime—and has still not done so despite his conviction: "The Conservative Party said it was not commenting at the moment," the BBC reports. As Stewart himself made comically explicit, there's Bahraini money in British politics—and in his pockets.
Parliamentary records show Stewart registered flights, accommodation and meals worth £5,349 during a four-day trip to Bahrain last November paid for by its ministry of foreign affairs.
A separate entry covered by the Bahraini government shows another trip, worth £1,245.56, to visit an air show and meet its foreign minister.
The entire exchange was caught on video, embedded below.
