Greater Manchester MP, Andrew Gwynne, has been suspended from the Labour Party after messages he had reportedly sent in a WhatsApp group chat were revealed.
Gwynne, who represents the Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton, has also been fired as a junior health minister.
One alleged message from Gwynne in the WhatsApp group called “TriggerMe Timbers” said that he hoped a pensioner would have “croaked it by the all-outs”.
He has also been accused of making sexist comments about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and racist remarks about Labour MP Diane Abbott.
Gwynne further asked in a message if someone was in Mossad, Israel’s secret intelligence service, and claimed that they sounded “too Jewish“.
On February 8, the MP claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that his comments were “badly misjudged” and apologised for any offence caused.
On February 11, a sign was later stuck on the door of the Gorton and Denton MP’s office saying, “Resign with dignity. OUT OUT OUT”.
The Labour Party has also suspended 11 councillors from Tameside and Stockport councils in relation to the WhatsApp group investigation, including three cabinet members.
Added to the list of suspended individuals is former Tameside Council leader, Ged Cooney, who claimed he had “never been a member” of the group and had been suspended due to reporting the WhatsApp group.
One of the suspended councillors, Vincent Ricci, said he had previously complained about the content of the messages, stating that the Labour Party had “thrown me under a bus”.
Burnley MP Oliver Ryan has also been suspended from the Labour Party and later expressed regret for “not speaking out at the time”.
The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, said that Gwynne’s alleged language was “completely unacceptable” and in some instances, “deeply concerning”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said that “swift action” would be taken if it was found that representatives breached the standards expected of them.
