The Labour Party has suspended eleven councillors after they were found to be members of a WhatsApp group that contained offensive messages.
It is understood that the suspended councillors are from Tameside Council and Stockport Council. Among them are Brenda Warrington, former council leader, and Claire Reid, a member of Labour’s national policy forum.
A Labour Party spokesperson confirmed the suspensions, stating, “As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, a group of councillors have been administratively suspended from the Labour Party.
“As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was launched in line with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures and this process is ongoing.
Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.”
The suspensions come in the wake of the sacking of health minister Andrew Gwynne, who was removed from his position after thousands of controversial messages he posted in the “Trigger Me Timbers” WhatsApp group were exposed.
The MP for Gorton and Denton was also suspended from the Labour Party after it was revealed that he had made inappropriate remarks in the group between 2019 and 2022.
Reports from the Mail on Sunday claimed that Mr Gwynne joked about a constituent being “mown down” by a truck and expressed hope that a 72-year-old woman would soon die after she raised concerns about bin collections.
Mr Gwynne said he deeply regretted his “badly misjudged comments” and apologised for “any offence caused”.
It is also believed that his wife, Allison Gwynne, who serves as a Tameside councillor, was part of the group and has now also been suspended.
Labour has since suspended Burnley MP Oliver Ryan for remarks he made in the same group.
According to the Daily Mail, Mr Ryan appeared to mock a fellow Labour MP over their sexuality.
In response, Mr Ryan admitted his failure to challenge inappropriate comments in the group, saying, “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.”
Following Andrew Gwynne’s removal, Ashley Dalton, MP for West Lancashire, has been appointed as a minister at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Labour’s swift disciplinary action signals its zero-tolerance stance on inappropriate behaviour within the party as the investigation continues.
