 A Conservative MP who allegedly told an activist to 'go back to Bahrain' will now stand trial accused of racial abuse. Bob Stewart denies making racially aggravated comments towards Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei during a confrontation in central London. The 74-year-old is alleged to have made the remark outside the Foreign Office's Lancaster House following a reception hosted at the Bahraini embassy on December 14 last year. Mr Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, reported the incident to the Met Police and the Conservative Party. In a statement issued at the time, he said: 'I don't believe I would have been told to 'go back' to the country that violently tortured me if it weren't for the colour of my skin.' Wearing a black suit, blue shirt and light blue tie, Mr Stewart spoke to confirm his name and date of birth when appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Beckenham MP Bob Stewart pictured arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Wednesday (Picture: PA) Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring told the grey-haired Tory MP for Beckenham: 'Mr Stewart, you plead not guilty, that means there needs to be a trial. 'It will take place at this court on November 3 this year. You will need to be at court for 9:30am for an approximately 10 o'clock start.' Mr Stewart, a former British Army officer who was stationed in Bahrain in 1969 and has represented Beckenham since 2010, is the chair of the all-parliamentary group on Bahrain. Following the incident, he apologised and issued a statement in which he said: 'I meant go back to Bahrain, which is a perfectly safe place, and protest there. 'If anyone thinks I've been racist I hones){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A Conservative MP who allegedly told an activist to ‘go back to Bahrain’ will now stand trial accused of racial abuse.
Bob Stewart denies making racially aggravated comments towards Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei during a confrontation in central London.
The 74-year-old is alleged to have made the remark outside the Foreign Office’s Lancaster House following a reception hosted at the Bahraini embassy on December 14 last year.
Mr Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, reported the incident to the Met Police and the Conservative Party.