Health minister Andrew Gwynne sacked over WhatsApp messages.
Health minister Andrew Gwynne has been sacked over alleged “antisemitic” and “racist” comments posted on a WhatsApp group.
Mr Gwynne reportedly made antisemitic comments and “joked” about a pensioner constituent, saying he hoped she died before the next election, according to the The Mail on Sunday.
He made racist comments about Labour MP Dianne Abbot, and sexist remarks about deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, the paper reported.
A government spokesperson said: "The prime minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a government in the service of working people.
“He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.”
A Labour spokesperson confirmed Mr Gwynne had been suspended as a member of the Labour party. “We are investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures.
“Swift action will be taken if individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members,” it said.
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.”
The Gorton and Denton MP said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins, The Mail on Sunday reported.
The Mail on Sunday got hold of some messages Gwynne put in a private Whatsapp group. One of them was a suggested response to a 72-year-old constituent asking about bin collections:
“Dear resident, F*** your bins. I’m re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you’ll have croaked it by the all-outs.'”
In another message he responded to someone’s name, which ended with ‘berg’: “He sounds too militaristic and too Jewish. Is he in Mossad?”
The messages were exchanged in a group called Trigger Me Timbers, which Mr Gwynne shares with more than a dozen Labour councillors, party officials and at least one other MP, all based on the outskirts of Manchester.
The MoS gained access to thousands of messages from the closed group, which was set up in 2019, and discovered a barrage of abusive texts. Among them are:
Mr Gwynne saying someone 'sounds too Jewish' and 'too militaristic', apparently from their name alone;
Racist comments about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott, mocking her historic achievement in be-coming the first black MP at either Despatch Box for Prime Minister's Questions;
Sexist comments about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner performing a sex act;
Mr Gwynne mocking a local Labour leader as 'Colin C*mface'.
The politician also makes offensive remarks about Jewish people. Discussing a Labour meeting in Reddish, a member of the group asks if Marshall Rosenberg would be there. It appears to be a reference to a late American psychologist whose conflict management techniques might have been useful in heated Labour debates.
Mr Gwynne responds: 'No. He sounds too militaristic and too Jewish. Is he in Mossad?'
Not defending the stupidity of Andrew Gwynne. and certainly not condoning some of his comments. But it does show how the World has changed.
The comments were made in a private WharsApp group. Which looks very much like a place for people to let off steam. And 1 of the Members has decided to leak a load of his messages to the Mail, effectively ending his career.
The 2 keys to this for me are:-
1. We now live in an age where you can no longer let off steam. Because I don't know anyone who hasn't made various of those sayings. In a moment letting off steam. Because (for example) some people can be a total pain in the Harris, whether it is voters, clients whatever. Anyone who says otherwise has never been in a Law Firm-or indeed a building site.
2. Advances in technology mean that arenas that people, particularly those of a certain age, think are safe are not safe. Which makes them vent in places where they should not.
He had to go, of course. But anyone sitting in judgment might care to think whether their career might have been different if things they said were secretly being recorded...
Comments
Health minister Andrew Gwynne has been sacked over alleged “antisemitic” and “racist” comments posted on a WhatsApp group.
Mr Gwynne reportedly made antisemitic comments and “joked” about a pensioner constituent, saying he hoped she died before the next election, according to the The Mail on Sunday.
He made racist comments about Labour MP Dianne Abbot, and sexist remarks about deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, the paper reported.
A government spokesperson said: "The prime minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a government in the service of working people.
“He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.”
A Labour spokesperson confirmed Mr Gwynne had been suspended as a member of the Labour party. “We are investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures.
“Swift action will be taken if individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members,” it said.
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.”
The Gorton and Denton MP said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins, The Mail on Sunday reported.
The Mail on Sunday got hold of some messages Gwynne put in a private Whatsapp group. One of them was a suggested response to a 72-year-old constituent asking about bin collections:
“Dear resident, F*** your bins. I’m re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you’ll have croaked it by the all-outs.'”
In another message he responded to someone’s name, which ended with ‘berg’: “He sounds too militaristic and too Jewish. Is he in Mossad?”
The messages were exchanged in a group called Trigger Me Timbers, which Mr Gwynne shares with more than a dozen Labour councillors, party officials and at least one other MP, all based on the outskirts of Manchester.
The MoS gained access to thousands of messages from the closed group, which was set up in 2019, and discovered a barrage of abusive texts. Among them are:
Mr Gwynne saying someone 'sounds too Jewish' and 'too militaristic', apparently from their name alone;
Racist comments about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott, mocking her historic achievement in be-coming the first black MP at either Despatch Box for Prime Minister's Questions;
Sexist comments about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner performing a sex act;
Mr Gwynne mocking a local Labour leader as 'Colin C*mface'.
The politician also makes offensive remarks about Jewish people. Discussing a Labour meeting in Reddish, a member of the group asks if Marshall Rosenberg would be there. It appears to be a reference to a late American psychologist whose conflict management techniques might have been useful in heated Labour debates.
Mr Gwynne responds: 'No. He sounds too militaristic and too Jewish. Is he in Mossad?'
The comments were made in a private WharsApp group. Which looks very much like a place for people to let off steam. And 1 of the Members has decided to leak a load of his messages to the Mail, effectively ending his career.
The 2 keys to this for me are:-
1. We now live in an age where you can no longer let off steam. Because I don't know anyone who hasn't made various of those sayings. In a moment letting off steam. Because (for example) some people can be a total pain in the Harris, whether it is voters, clients whatever. Anyone who says otherwise has never been in a Law Firm-or indeed a building site.
2. Advances in technology mean that arenas that people, particularly those of a certain age, think are safe are not safe. Which makes them vent in places where they should not.
He had to go, of course. But anyone sitting in judgment might care to think whether their career might have been different if things they said were secretly being recorded...