Prosecute ex-Labour minister for sexist and racist WhatsApps, says ex-chief inspector
A Labour minister who was sacked over racist and sexist comments in a WhatsApp group should be prosecuted, a former Scotland Yard chief inspector has said.
David McKelvey, who ran investigations into organised crime for 25 years, said the police must act against Andrew Gwynne or risk allegations of 'two-tier policing'.
Mr Gwynne was sacked on Saturday night after the publication of his private messages, in which he said he hoped an elderly constituent would die.
He has also been accused of racism, sexism and anti-Semitism, in comments that included personal remarks about Angela Rayner and Diane Abbott.
Mr McKelvey said police officers had been convicted and imprisoned for similar messages in private group chats, but there was 'currently no indication that Gwynne or any other members of the group are under police investigation or facing prosecution'.
'This raises serious questions about whether the law is being applied consistently,' he said.
Police officers have previously been found in breach of the Communications Act, which makes it an offence to send messages that are 'grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing'.
Mr Gwynne's comments included a joking response to a constituent who emailed him about bin collections.
''Dear resident, f--- your bins,' he posted in the group chat, named 'Trigger Me Timbers'.
'I'm re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you'll have croaked it by the all-outs [local elections].'
He also joked about another constituent being 'mown down by an Elsa Waste HGV while he's cycling,' said that Ms Abbott was only speaking at Prime Minister's Questions because of 'Black History Month' and referred to Ms Rayner performing a sex act while wearing taxpayer-funded headphones.
He appeared to mock the Jewish surname of one public figure. When other members of the chat asked if Marshall Rosenberg, a conflict resolution expert, would be present at a local Labour Party meeting, Mr Gwynne reportedly said: 'No. He sounds too militaristic and too Jewish. Is he in Mossad?'
The comments were first reported by the Mail on Sunday, prompting Sir Keir Starmer to sack Mr Gwynne and the Labour Party to suspend the whip, pending further investigation.
However, Mr McKelvey complained that the matter was 'being dealt with internally by the Labour Party' and that 'no legal action appears to be forthcoming in this case'.
He said: 'Is this yet another example of two-tier policing, where ordinary officers face criminal consequences for similar or lesser offences, while politicians and public figures escape legal scrutiny?'
On Sunday, the Labour minister Matthew Pennycook said that Sir Keir would 'act to uphold the highest standards in public office' if any member of the Government was found to have acted inappropriately.
Mr Gwynne, a former member of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet who has served as a Labour MP since 2005, said he regretted his 'badly misjudged' comments and would cooperate with the party's investigation.
A government spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a Government in the service of working people.
'He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.
'Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended as a member of the Labour Party. We are investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures.
'Swift action will be taken if individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour party members.'
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