Labour MP Andrew Gwynne has been removed from his role as health minister and suspended from the Labour Party following the emergence of controversial messages he allegedly posted
in a private WhatsApp group.
Dismissal and apology
Gwynne, who represents Denton and Gorton, reportedly made sexist remarks about Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner, racist comments about MP Diane Abbott, and joked about an elderly woman’s death in a closed chat involving Labour figures from Manchester.
Upon learning of these comments, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer promptly dismissed Gwynne from his ministerial position. In response, Gwynne took to X (formerly Twitter) to express regret, stating:
“I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I’ve caused. I’ve served the Labour Party all my life and it was a huge honour to be appointed a minister by Keir Starmer. I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.”
Content of the messages
According to reports from the Mail on Sunday, Gwynne’s messages were shared in a WhatsApp group named Trigger Me Timbers, which included Labour councillors, party officials, and at least one other MP. His alleged posts contained antisemitic remarks and jokes about a constituent being “mown down” by a truck. One particularly troubling message expressed hope that a 72-year-old woman would soon pass away after she inquired about her bin collection.
A government spokesperson reaffirmed Starmer’s commitment to maintaining integrity in public office, stating:
“The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a government in the service of working people. He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.”
Labour’s response and conservative criticism
A Labour Party spokesperson confirmed Gwynne’s suspension, stating:
“Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended as a member of the Labour Party. We are investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures. Swift action will be taken if individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.”
The Conservative Party seized on the controversy, with Tory co-chairman Nigel Huddleston claiming that the incident was indicative of deeper issues within Labour:
“There is a clear contempt for pensioners in the Labour Party. This clearly goes beyond Andrew Gwynne and there is a rot in Labour that needs fixing. Andrew Gwynne should not remain a member of the Labour Party – they need to act.”
As Labour continues its internal investigation, the case underscores the growing scrutiny over the conduct of public officials and party representatives, particularly in the digital sphere. Photo by Sophie Brown, Wikimedia commons.
