Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is facing increasing pressure to remove around a dozen Labour members involved in a disturbing WhatsApp scandal. The messages shared in the private chat have been described as “vile” and offensive.
One of those involved is Health Minister Andrew Gwynne, who has been fired from his position and suspended from the Labour Party after a series of abusive messages from the private chat were revealed. Gwynne’s messages included antisemitic remarks, making fun of an elderly person who didn’t vote for Labour, and joking about a constituent being hit by a truck.
Another Labour MP, Oliver Ryan from Burnley, also apologized yesterday after being linked to the controversial WhatsApp group, called “Trigger Me Timbers.” Ryan, who was a Tameside Councillor when the messages were sent, admitted he didn’t see all the messages but took responsibility for not speaking up against the offensive content. He said, “I didn’t see every message, but I should have done more to challenge what was said. I also made some comments that I deeply regret and would never make today. I sincerely apologize for my actions.”
Ryan added, “Some of the things said in that group were completely wrong, and I strongly condemn them. I regret not speaking out at the time, and I know that staying silent was a mistake.”
The Labour Party has launched an investigation into the messages sent in the WhatsApp group. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook acknowledged that the investigation could lead to serious consequences, including people losing their positions.
Meanwhile, Alex Burghart, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, called on the Prime Minister to address the scandal. He said, “This situation shows that, despite Keir Starmer’s efforts to clean up the Labour Party’s image, there may still be a serious problem with antisemitism among senior Labour politicians. I hope the Prime Minister will take immediate action to deal with this.”
