A TAMESIDE councillor has claimed Andrew Gwynne’s constituents want him to resign as an MP over the messages that saw him sacked as a minister.
Mr Gwynne was dismissed from his health role by the Government and suspended from the Labour Party on Saturday, February 8, over a string of abusive and offensive WhatsApp comments.
As revealed by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, it is claimed Mr Gwynne insulted constituents, fellow MPs and councillors – including alleged racist and sexist remarks – in a group, which is understood to also include Labour councillors, officials and at least one other MP.
Mr Gwynne – who has been an MP since 2005, first for the Denton and Reddish constituency, now for Gorton and Denton – apologised for any offence caused by his “badly misjudged comments” which he “deeply regrets” in posts on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
I deeply regret my badly misjudged commments 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. 1/2
— Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) February 8, 2025
The revelations have led to widespread outrage and anger from local people on social media.
Appearing on BBC Politics North West on Sunday, February 9, Tameside councillor Liam Billington was asked if he thought Mr Gwynne should resign as an MP.
“That’s not for me to say but that is what his constituents are asking for,” said the Conservative, who has represented the Stalybridge South ward on Tameside Council since 2018.
Despite his suspension from the Labour Party, under whose banner he was elected, Mr Gwynne can still serve as an independent MP.
Among the shocking exchanges that have come to light, Mr Gwynne wrote he hoped that a 72-year-old woman, who did not vote Labour, would soon be dead after she wrote to her local councillor about bin collections.
Cllr Billington described the content of the WhatsApp messages as “completely, completely unacceptable” and believes the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards – an independent officer of the House of Commons who oversees the Code of Conduct for MPs – should step in.
“What is really bad about it is that they are mocking a constituent who has approached them over a casework issue and it shouldn’t be a laughing matter,” he added.
“They have breached GDPR and I think the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is going to have to be involved now over this.”
A Labour MP in the North West, who also appeared on the BBC One programme, feels Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has taken ‘appropriate steps’ in stripping Mr Gwynne of his role as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention and suspending him from the party.
“I think it is clear that these comments are completely shocking and unacceptable,” said Connor Naismith, who became an MP for the first time at last year’s election in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency.
“You have seen that Andrew has acknowledged as much himself. But it is right that the Prime Minister holds really high standards for ministers, MPs and for the party and that’s why he’s taken decisive and swift action by suspending Andrew from the Labour Party and removing him from his post in Government.”
As the fallout continues, The Correspondent has also reported that Greater Manchester Police have received a formal complaint over alleged ‘hate speech’ and ‘antisemitism’ in the WhatsApp messages sent by Gwynne.