Nearly a dozen Labour councillors have been suspended from the party as part of its investigation into a WhatsApp group that has already seen two MPs lose the whip. The group of 11 is understood to include Allison Gwynne, the wife of former health minister Andrew Gwynne – who has been sacked over a series of offensive comments made in the chat. Oliver Ryan, the MP for Burnley who was elected last summer, has also had the whip withdrawn over his involvement in the group, named “Trigger Me Timbers”.
The councillors who were administratively suspended on Tuesday are understood to include Ms Gwynne, former council leader Brenda Warrington, and Claire Reid, a member of Labour’s national policy forum. The group comes from Tameside and Stockport councils. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, a group of councillors have been administratively suspended from the Labour Party.
“As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was launched in line with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures and this process is ongoing. Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.”. Mr Gwynne left Government and was suspended from Labour at the weekend after reports he had sent messages to the group including a joke about a constituent being “mown down” by a truck.
He also said hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon die after she asked a councillor about bin collections, according to the paper. The MP for Gorton and Denton in Greater Manchester said he deeply regretted his “badly misjudged comments” and apologised for “any offence caused” in a statement. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer dismissed him as a minister as soon as he became aware of the comments, it is understood.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported that Mr Ryan appeared to mock a fellow Labour MP over his sexuality in exchanges in the group. The newspaper does not name the MP being mocked in the group and notes he has never discussed his sexuality publicly and is not known to be gay. Mr Ryan is also said to have used an offensive nickname to refer to local Labour leader Colin Bailey. He became an MP in July and was previously a Tameside councillor.
Mr Ryan said he had been a member of the group between 2019 and 2022 and regretted not “speaking out at the time” over comments which were “completely unacceptable”. “I did not see every message, but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what was said,” he said. “I also made some comments myself which I deeply regret and would not make today and for that, I wholeheartedly apologise.”.
.jpeg?trim=21,0,22,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1000)
