SIX TAMESIDE councillors will be found in breach of the code of conduct after an investigation into the notorious Trigger Me Timbers WhatsApp group.
And they will be told they have ‘shown complete disregard’ to some of the Nolan Principles of Public Life as it emerged some mocked a colleague.
Jokes against Jewish people and comments about other Labour MPs were also made.
Cllrs Brenda Warrington, Allison Gwynne, Claire Reid, George Newton, Jack Naylor and George Jones are set to face a standards hearing on Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3.
That is likely to determine what action they may face, with potential punishments including being censured, removal from council committees and being barred from outside appointments they have been appointed to or nominated for.
Trigger Me Timbers (TMT) was set up in relation to a ‘trigger ballot’ – which can start the process to remove a sitting Labour MP.
A Labour Party investigation saw Cllrs Newton and Naylor expelled, Cllrs Reid and Gwynne handed a six-month suspension and Cllrs Jones and Warrington given formal warnings.
Now a report by independent investigator Linda Comstive, published by Tameside Council, finds all breached the code to varying degrees.
Cllr Gwynne wrote: “Kids in Denton have always enjoyed swimming in street rubbish/raw sewage.”
It also details how Ashton Waterloo Cllr Vimal Choksi was singled out in some messages, especially after receiving an MBE in 2021.
The report finds Andrew Gwynne MP, sacked as public health minister following the group’s revelation and who is now standing down in the Gorton and Denton constituency, wrote on June 11 that year: “F g Vimal has an MBE for services as a Cllr!!!”to which Cllr Newton replied: “your joking…Jammy b d haaha” and Cllr Naylor added: “F g VIMAL??????!!!!”
Cllr Warrington penned: “Pleased about… she really deserves it. But Vimal????????…It’s all those litter picks…How many litter picks does it take to get an MBE?”
A day later, Cllr Newton contributed: “So. What percentage of the Tameside Labour Group is asking what Vimal does more than themselves?”
That prompted then Audenshaw Councillor, now Burnley MP, Oliver Ryan to post a picture of a garden gnome on Facebook in a childish name the gnome competition, followed by the same being posted on a link on the group.
Cllr Naylor responded: “Cllr Vimal Gnomski MBE” to which Cllr Warrington posted laughing emojis and Cllr Newton said: “Hahahahaha.”
Individually, none of the six come out favourably, with the possible exception of Denton West Cllr Jones.
Ward colleague Cllr Warrington, leader of Tameside Council when Trigger Me Timbers was created on January 2, 2019, has been found to have breached the code on three grounds – failing to show respect to various members of the public, having conduct that could reasonably be regarded as bringing her office and the council into disrepute and misusing council resources.
Linda Comstive’s report found she could not recall anything about being on the Standards Committee of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, a post she held for more than three years.
She insisted in interview: “The responsibility for the offence lies with those persons who, for malicious reasons chose to leak the chat to the press.”
According to the report, she added: “It was never my intention to offend anyone, and I apologise for any comments I may have made in the chat that has resulted in upset.”
However, it adds: “She offered no apology.”
Cllr Gwynne is described as having ‘failed in her duty under Paragraph 8.2 of the Code, since she has not engaged or cooperated with the investigation whatsoever.’
Linda Comstive claims the Denton North East member – referred to as Cllr AG – contacted her on September 11, after her investigation was concluded, but a request to speak to her was turned down after months of non-communication.
She adds: “There are many examples within TMT of Cllr AG using abusive and foul language and obscene comment, not the words and phrases that one would expect of a public figure.
“She has failed to acknowledge or apologise for her disrespectful comments. Despite being the wife of a serving MP, and an experienced politician, she acts disrespectfully rather than attempting to stop it from continuing.”
Cllr Gwynne has been found to have made three breaches – the same first two as Cllr Warrington and failing to cooperate with the Code of Conduct investigation.
Denton South Cllr Newton has been found to have made four breaches, including ‘bullying towards members of the public who are also Labour Party members and an MP,’ in reference to Navendra Mishra, and failing to promote equalities and discriminating unlawfully against members of the public and a Labour MP.
He admitted: “It was just a lot of chatting amongst friends. There are lots of things I regret with the benefit of hindsight. It’s not something I should have participated in.
“We were just a group of friends within the Denton and Reddish party. It was used for organising things relating to the process.
“I joined TMT because we were all like-minded friends. I was active in the Constituency Labour Party in Denton and Reddish. It was nothing at all to do with me being a Councillor.
“It was about our frustrations at the state of the Labour Party at the time under Jeremy Corbyn. We were all friends with similar views.”
Ward colleague Cllr Reid, who was Trigger Me Timbers’ administrator, did not attend an interview after being invited but did answer written questions.
She insisted after being asked about comments and bad language: “This was not my role.
“All other members whether members from the start or those who requested to join the group were equal parties…It was the responsibility of all members.”
The third Denton South member, Cllr Jack Naylor, ‘has not engaged or cooperated with the investigation whatsoever.’
Linda Comstive has found as he made four breaches: “He made an anti-semitic joke that is disrespectful to members of the Jewish faith.”
One of Cllr Naylor’s breaches is failing to promote equalities and discriminating unlawfully against members of the Jewish faith.
Cllr Jones, described as being ‘genuinely sorry’ stated in interview: “I was 18 at the time, a young member and trying to get involved in politics and I was taken under the wing of a group of people.
“It was not all a positive experience. Other people became more of a supportive influence. In hindsight I wish I had not been involved and sincerely apologise.”
All six are set to face the hearing following complaints by independent Cllr Kaleel Khan, Phil Foster and Gary Clarke, which resulted in an investigation of a transcript of more than three years’ worth of messages – more than 463,000 words and 39,666 ‘chats.’
Mr Foster mines in Denton West and says he is referred to as an “oaf” and a “grade A knob” in comments allegedly made by Stockport Councillor Kate Butler.
St Peter’s Cllr Khan insisted he made his ‘not politically motivated’ complaint after being contacted by several constituents.
And Mr Clarke complained against Cllr Gwynne about her sewage comment, believing she was poking fun at children, those from poorer backgrounds, putting them down and displaying prejudice towards these children in Tameside.
Linda Comstive pointed to law as ‘gratuitous personal comments do not fall within the definition of political expression, nor does indulging in offensive comments, they do not attract the protection of freedom of expression afforded under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes a right to express views which others might find objectionable or even offensive.’
And for all the breaches of the code that have been found, a number have not.
They include not treating local authority employees, volunteers and representatives of partner organisations with respect and respect the role they play, harassment, compromising, or attempting to compromise, the impartiality of anyone who works for, or on behalf of, the council.
They have also been found to have not breached confidentiality, used, or attempted to use, their position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of yourself or anyone else or intimidated anyone.