Ex-Tameside council leader Ged Cooney suspended amid Labour WhatsApp scandal
The ex-leader is among 12 councillors suspended in Tameside and Stockport
Former Tameside council leader Ged Cooney has been suspended by the Labour Party amid the WhatsApp scandal, the Manchester Evening News/Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.
The Droylsden West councillor is the latest in a string of suspensions following leaks from the Trigger Me Timbers group that has rocked the borough. Coun Cooney, who resigned as council leader last October following a damning report into the local authorityâs failing childrenâs services, previously denied being involved in the group chat.
Coun Cooney is the latest high-profile politician to be suspended by Labour as a party investigation into the scandal gets underway.
Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne was sacked as a junior health minister and suspended. Mr Gwynne is alleged to have made anti-Semitic slights and joked about a pensioner dying before an election after she raised concerns about bin collections.
Tameside councillors Claire Reid, Jack Naylor and George Newton stepped down from their cabinet positions in the wake of the headlines. They are now among 12 Greater Manchester councillors suspended by Labour earlier this week, including two over the border in Stockport.
Burnley MP Oliver Ryan - a former Tameside councillor who was a member of the group - has also been suspended by the party.
The following councillors have been suspended from the Labour Party, the Local Democracy Reporting Service/Manchester Evening News understands:
Councillor Claire Reid, Tameside
Councillor Jack Naylor, Tameside
Councillor George Newton, Tameside
Councillor Vincent Ricci, Tameside
Councillor Charlotte Martin, Tameside
Councillor Allison Gwynne, Tameside
Councillor George Jones, Tameside
Councillor Brenda Warrington, Tameside
Councillor Denise Ward, Tameside
Councillor David Sedgwick, Stockport
Councillor Holly McCormack, Stockport
Councillor Ged Cooney. Tameside
In a previous statement on Monday (February 10), a Labour Party spokesperson said: "As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was immediately launched and this process is ongoing in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures. Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members."
Coun Cooney has been contacted for comment.
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