Health minister Andrew Gwynne sacked over offensive WhatsApp messages

Health curate Andrew Gwynne has been sacked aft apologising for offence caused by a drawstring of abusive WhatsApp messages insulting constituents, chap MPs and councillors.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acted aft it was revealed the MP for Gorton and Denton had sent 1 hoping a 72-year-old pistillate volition soon person “croaked it” aft she dared to inquire astir her bins, The Mail connected Sunday reports.

He reportedly posted sexist comments astir Angela Rayner and racist remarks astir Labour MP Diane Abbott.

The paper said the texts were exchanged successful a radical called Trigger Me Timbers which Gwynne shares with much than a twelve enactment officials each based connected the outskirts of Manchester.

The Mail alleged it gained entree to thousands of messages from the closed group, acceptable up successful 2019, and discovered antisemitic slights, comments astir seasoned Abbott and Deputy Prime Minister Rayner performing a enactment act.

In a station connected X, formerly Twitter, Gwynne said that helium profoundly regretted his “badly misjudged comments” and apologised for immoderate offence caused.

He added: “I’ve served the Labour Party each my beingness and it was a immense honour to beryllium appointed a curate by Keir Starmer.

“I wholly recognize the decisions the PM and the enactment person taken and, portion precise bittersweet to person been suspended, volition enactment them successful immoderate mode I can.”

A authorities spokesperson said: “The premier curate is determined to uphold precocious standards of behaviour successful nationalist bureau and pb a authorities successful the work of moving people.

“He volition not hesitate to instrumentality enactment against immoderate curate who fails to conscionable these standards, arsenic helium has successful this case.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended arsenic a subordinate of the Labour Party.

“We are investigating comments made successful this WhatsApp radical successful enactment with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures. Swift enactment volition beryllium taken if individuals are recovered to person breached the precocious standards expected of them arsenic Labour Party members.”

The Conservatives said the posts showed a “rot” successful the Labour Party.

“There is simply a wide contempt for pensioners successful the Labour Party. This intelligibly goes beyond Andrew Gwynne and determination is simply a rot successful Labour that needs fixing,” Tory enactment co-chairman Nigel Huddleston said.

“Andrew Gwynne should not stay a subordinate of the Labour Party – they request to act.”