Health minister Andrew Gwynne sacked over messages

UK Health Minister Andrew Gwynne has been dismissed after a newspaper revealed that he had sent a series of offensive and abusive WhatsApp messages. Furthermore, Gwynne's membership as a Labour MP has also been suspended following reports in The Mail on Sunday that he sent messages insulting constituents, other MPs, and parliamentarians.

A government spokesperson stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is determined to uphold high standards in public life and will not hesitate to take action against ministers who fail to meet those standards. Prime Minister Starmer has emphasized the government's strict requirements for the conduct of public officials.

Gwynne stated on social platform X that he apologizes for any offense caused by these comments, which he called "serious errors of judgement." He also added that he understands the decisions of the Prime Minister and the Labour Party, and that "while incredibly disappointed to be suspended, I will do everything I can to support them."

A Labour spokesperson said that Gwynne has been "administratively suspended" from the Labour Party pending an investigation into comments he made in a WhatsApp group, in accordance with Labour's rules and procedures. The spokesperson added that swift action will be taken if anyone is found to have violated the high standards expected of a Labour member. Messages seen by The Mail on Sunday showed that Gwynne had wished a 72-year-old woman would die soon after she wrote to a local councillor about a garbage collection issue. The councillor reportedly shared the woman's letter with Gwynne and other Labour figures in a WhatsApp group called "Trigger Me Timber." The paper also claimed he joked that a voter had been "run over" by a lorry. Gwynne also reportedly made sexist remarks about Angela Rayner and racist remarks about Labour MP Diane Abbott.

The Conservative Party has stated that these messages demonstrate "rot" within the Labour Party that needs to be "sorted out." Conservative Party co-chairman Nigel Huddleston said: "Labour clearly have contempt for pensioners. Andrew Gwynne should not continue as a Labour member and they need to take action." Gwynne was first elected as a Labour MP in 2005, representing the Denton and Reddish constituency. Last year, following constituency boundary changes, he was elected as the MP for Denton and Reddish. He is the third MP to leave the government since last summer's general election, following the departure of Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq in January and Transport Minister Louise Haigh last November. Siddiq resigned over allegations related to her aunt's political campaign in Bangladesh, while Haigh resigned after admitting to committing a criminal offense related to the alleged theft of a work mobile phone.