Uh oh. Former Labour health minister Andrew Gwynne was sacked and suspended at the weekend after some rather controversial message exchanges involving the MP were revealed. A second MP, Oliver Ryan, had the whip removed on Monday after his role in the controversial group chat – ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ – came to light. But now, as reported by the Times, more messages have been unearthed that paint the pair in an even worse light.
The private group, for the eyes and ears of a select few Labour activists and MPs in Greater Manchester, was in use between 2019 and 2022. Amongst normal conversations were remarks deemed sexist, racist and derogatory – with Labour campaigners frequently taking aim at ‘trots’ and ‘cretins’ in the party. Politicians were pressed to stir up stories about a gay Labour colleague ‘having sex parties’ with ‘decrepit trade unionists’, with Ryan mocking a visually impaired colleague and Gwynne calling someone an ‘illiterate retard’.
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