Labour has suspended eleven councillors over a vile WhatsApp group where messages mocked pensioners and made misogynistic and homophobic remarks.
As part of its investigation into the Trigger Me Timbers WhatsApp group, which resulted in a former minister being sacked and another MP losing the whip, they have been suspended from the party.
The suspended councillors are believed to be from Tameside and Stockport, including Allison Gwynne, the wife of Andrew Gwynne. The contentious group purportedly consisted of approximately 44 individuals.
Following the exposure of some offensive posts, the situation escalated, prompting the abrupt dismissal of health minister Andrew Gwynne after The Mail on Sunday highlighted the content to Downing Street.
It later emerged that Oliver Ryan, the 29-year-old MP for Burnley, was another leading member of the group, where he has posted more than 2,000 messages.
Thousands of the disturbing messages stretched as far back as 2019 until 2022.Â
A Labour Party spokesperson said: ‘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.
Keir Starmer at a Labour Party cabinet meeting in Salford with Andrew Gwynne in 2019Â
Mr Ryan is a long-time friend of Mr Gwynne (right, pictured with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2019), who posted messages which involved him mocking a pensioner who did not vote Labour and wishing her dead
In the private chat, called Trigger Me Timbers, Mr Ryan takes part with others in apparently homophobic banter as they joke about a fellow Labour MP being gay (pictured)
The vile posts led to the dramatic sacking of health minister Andrew Gwynne (right, pictured with his wife Allison Gwynne, left) after The Mail on Sunday brought them to the attention of Downing Street on Saturday
‘Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.’Â
The Guardian reported that the suspended Tameside councillors include Gwynne’s wife, along with former council leader Brenda Warrington, and Claire Reid, a member of Labour’s national policy forum.
The suspension of the Tameside councillors comes after three Labour members of the local authority ‘stepped away’ from their duties on the Council, pending an investigation into the messages.
Councillors Jack Naylor, Claire Reid, and George Newton – who were also members of the WhatsApp group – are also being investigated by Labour.
Gerald Cooney, the former leader of Tameside council, also claimed he warned officials about the vile Whatsapp group over a year ago.
But a Labour source said the party did not receive any formal complaint about the group.
The Guardian reported that Gwynne described a fellow councillor as a ‘fat middle aged useless thicket’ in the group.
He also called neighbouring MP Nav Mishra, a ‘splitter’ for forming a group of leftwing Labour MPs in 2022, it was reported.
And year after the death of Prince Philip – Gwynne’s colleague Claire Reid, a senior Labour official – said her ‘go-to phrase’ was: ‘You’re so old. You’re like a young Prince Philip’. Gwynne replied: ‘But less dead.’
The Daily Mail also learned that Greater Manchester Police are assessing a number of complaints made about the WhatsApp group’s offensive content.
In the private chat, called Trigger Me Timbers, Mr Ryan took part with others in apparently homophobic banter as they joked about a fellow Labour MP being gay.Â
In a series of posts, Mr Ryan also made cruel remarks about a local Labour leader and life-long lollipop man in Greater Manchester called Colin Bailey.
Mr Ryan was forced to issue an apology, saying he regrets his comments. He said: ‘Between 2019 and early 2022, I was a member of a WhatsApp group created by my MP and former employer, Andrew Gwynne.
‘Some of the comments made in that group were completely unacceptable, and I fully condemn them. I regret not speaking out at the time, and I recognise that failing to do so was wrong.
‘I did not see every message, but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what was said.
Now it can be revealed that Oliver Ryan (right), the 29-year-old MP for Burnley, was a leading member of a WhatsApp group in which racist, sexist and anti-Semitic messages were exchanged
‘I also made some comments myself which I deeply regret and would not make today and for that I wholeheartedly apologise.
‘I will co-operate fully with the Labour Party’s investigation.’
Mr Ryan is one of the youngest MPs and was a Labour councillor for nine years before being elected to Parliament last year.Â
He is a long-time friend of Mr Gwynne, who posted messages which involved him mocking a pensioner who did not vote Labour and wishing her dead before the next council election.
The pensioner from Stockport had written to her Labour councillor saying she had not voted for him, but nevertheless asked for his help about bin collections.
The councillor, David Sedgwick, posted the letter on the group, to which Mr Gwynne posted a mock reply on Mr Sedgwick’s behalf. He said: ‘Dear resident, F*** your bins. I’m re-elected and without your vote.
‘Screw you, Dave. Ps Hopefully you’ll have croaked it by the all-outs [council elections].’
Mr Gwynne was sacked immediately as a minister and also suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.
A No 10 spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office. He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.’
Meanwhile Mr Ryan, who is himself gay, makes inappropriate comments about a Labour MP, whom we have chosen not to name. In February 2019, one member describes the MP as ‘a thick posh lazy oaf. Factually correct but lacks pizzazz’.
Mr Gwynne (right, pictured greeting the late Queen) was sacked immediately as a minister and also suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation
Mr Ryan replied: ‘The straight choice,’ appearing to suggest he is gay. Then Cllr Sedgwick adds: ‘#sodomitefor****’, mentioning the MP’s constituency.Â
Mr Ryan said: ‘A movement we can all get behind… again and again,’ appearing to reference gay sex. Mr Ryan asks Mr Gwynne: ‘Have you caught ***?’ using the MP’s nickname. Mr Gwynne replies: ‘Is it an STI [sexually transmitted infection]?’
Mr Ryan is openly gay, but the Labour MP being mocked in the group has never discussed his sexuality publicly and is not known to be gay.
Mr Ryan also mocked a senior Labour leader, 61-year-old Mr Bailey, who is vice-chairman of the party’s Audenshaw branch. Mr Bailey, a life-long lollipop man who has been a member of the Labour Party for 42 years, was mocked as ‘Colin C*mface’ by Mr Ryan and Mr Gwynne.
In February 2019, when the group was discussing a recent Labour victory, Mr Sedgwick asked the group: ‘How did Colin C*mface take it?’
Moments later, Mr Ryan referred to him as: ‘Deaf Colin C*mface.’
When informed about the nasty name-calling, Mr Bailey said: ‘I am very angry about this. I thought Oliver was a friend, as I did some work for him. That’s the thing, you help these people, and they stab you in the back.’ He added: ‘My daughter has reported this to the police today.’
Trigger Me Timbers was set up in 2019, and consists of at least two MPs, over a dozen Labour councillors, as well as senior party officials in the Greater Manchester area.
Mr Gwynne also made offensive remarks about Jewish people and Angela Rayner was also mocked by the group.
A Government source said: ‘Oliver Ryan’s remarks were unacceptable and deeply disappointing.
‘While a Labour Party investigation is already under way, the Chief Whip will also be speaking to him and no action is off the table.’
This is a breaking news story, more to followÂ
