An investigation has been launched into a WhatsApp group which is said to include more than a dozen Labour councillors and party officials. Health minister Andrew Gwynne has been suspended by Labour for alleged remarks, while an investigation has been launched into reported comments by Burnley MP Oliver Ryan. Who is Andrew Gwynne?. He is the Labour MP for Gorton and Denton on the outskirts of Manchester.
The 50-year-old has been an MP since 2005 and was appointed as a health minister last summer. He was previously the campaign chief for Jeremy Corbyn. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. What did he reportedly say on WhatsApp?. Mr Gwynne was said to have been part of a WhatsApp chat which contained Labour councillors, party officials and at least one other MP. According to the Mail On Sunday, Mr Gwynne made racist comments about Labour MP Diane Abbott and sexist remarks about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
He is also reported to have said he hoped a pensioner would soon die after she asked a councillor about bin collections. What action has been taken?. He has been sacked as a health minister and suspended from the Labour Party. The prime minister is understood to have dismissed Mr Gwynne as a minister as soon as he became aware of the reported comments. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said an investigation was taking place into the "whole incident".
Mr Gwynne said on social media: "I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I've caused.". Who is Oliver Ryan?. Mr Ryan is the Labour MP for Burnley. The 29-year-old became an MP last July and was previously a Tameside councillor. What has happened to Mr Ryan?. Mr Ryan is being investigated by the Labour Party over reported comments on the same WhatsApp group. A government source said the alleged remarks were "unacceptable and deeply disappointing".
In a statement on social media, Mr Ryan apologised for comments he said he "would not make today" and would "cooperate fully" with the investigation. Read more:Politics latest - MPs set for pay riseMore than 600 immigration arrests in January. Follow our channel and never miss an update. He added that between 2019 and early 2022, he was a member of a WhatsApp group "created by my MP and former employer, Andrew Gwynne".
