Labour MP hauled in by whips after minister sacked for grim WhatsApp remarks
A second Labour MP has apologised for comments made in a WhatsApp chat, after Andrew Gwynne was sacked as a minister over messages he sent to the same group.
Labour MP Oliver Ryan will be hauled into the Chief Whip's office on Monday to discuss comments in a WhatsApp group with sacked minister Andrew Gwynne.
The Burnley MP is being investigated by the Labour Party over “unacceptable and deeply disappointing” comments in a WhatsApp group.
Dame Angela Eagle said: “My understanding is the Chief Whip will be seeing him today.
“There’s an ongoing investigation into the entirety of that WhatsApp group, Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended, that kind of comments are not acceptable.
“So the Prime Minister has taken a very strong stance straight away on all of this as soon as it came to light.”
Asked whether or not challenging people over unacceptable comments was enough to see someone lose the whip, she said that was “a matter for the Chief Whip”.
She added: “The investigation will be about context, will be about who said what when, and that will give the individuals the opportunity to explain themselves.”
Mr Ryan said in a statement that comments he made in the group "were completely unacceptable" and he regretted "not speaking out at the time".
Fellow MP Andrew Gwynne was sacked as health minister on Saturday after the Mail on Sunday reported he sent a string of offensive and abusive messages in the WhatsApp group, which contained other Labour figures.
A government source said that the party's chief whip would speak to Mr Ryan "and no action is off the table".
Mr Ryan said: "I did not see every message, but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what was said.
"I also made some comments myself which I deeply regret and would not make today and for that, I wholeheartedly apologise."
He told how the WhatsApp group, reportedly called Trigger Me Timbers, was created by his "MP and former employer, Andrew Gwynne".