Labour councillors stand down over Andrew Gwynne WhatsApp group messages
It comes after a Greater Manchester MP was sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour Party
Three Labour councillors have quit their jobs at Tameside council following reports over messages shared in a WhatsApp group.
Denton South councillors Claire Reid, Jack Naylor and George Newton have stepped down from their roles on Tameside council's cabinet. It comes after Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne was sacked as a government minister and suspended from the Labour Party over what he said were 'badly misjudged' comments he regretted making in the 'Trigger Me Timbers' WhatsApp group.
According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Gwynne made anti-Semitic slights and joked about a Stockport pensioner dying before an election after she wrote about bin collections. It's also claimed he also targeted colleagues Angela Rayner with sexist comments and Dianne Abbot with racist remarks.
A second Labour MP, who was previously a councillor in Tameside, has also apologised over comments in the WhatsApp group. Burnley MP Oliver Ryan is being investigated by the Labour Party over 'unacceptable and deeply disappointing' comments in the group.
Mr Ryan confirmed he was a member of the WhatsApp chat that Mr Gwynne was sacked as a minister over and apologised for some of his own comments 'which [he] deeply regrets and would not make today'. The chief whip will be speaking with Mr Ryan and 'no action is off the table', a government source told the PA news agency.
Labour has now confirmed that three Tameside councillors who are believed to have been members of the WhatsApp group have now resigned from their cabinet positions at the local authority. A spokesperson for Tameside Labour said: “Following reports over the weekend of messages shared in a historic WhatsApp group, Councillors Reid, Naylor and Newton have decided to step away from their executive duties at Tameside Council whilst an investigation by the Labour Party is underway.”
In a statement on X on Saturday (February 8), Mr Gwynne said: "I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offense 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."
Mr Gwynne has now been suspended as a member of the Labour party and will sit as an independent MP."
Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.