Latest news with #AndrewGwynne
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Labour accused of 'quietly urging shamed MP Andrew Gwynne to stay on' over fears of losing another by-election to Reform
Labour is privately urging a disgraced MP not to quit for fear of losing another by-election to Nigel Farage 's Reform UK, it was claimed last night. Sources said former health minister Andrew Gwynne, suspended by Labour after The Mail on Sunday exposed his racist and sexist comments earlier this year, was facing appeals from party officials to stay on. They said Labour was 'scared stiff' that if Mr Gwynne stood down, it would hand Mr Farage another by-election triumph akin to Reform's shock victory in Runcorn and Helsby last month. But local Labour officials are also said to be worried that snatching Mr Gwynne's Greater Manchester seat would give Reform a platform to oust nearby Labour big-hitters Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds at the next general election. The claims come after Sir Keir made clear he now considered Reform to be Labour's main enemy, saying the Tory party was 'sliding into the abyss'. In leaked messages from a local WhatsApp group called Trigger Me Timbers, the MP also joked about how he hoped a pensioner who didn't vote for his party would die before the next election. The MP, who apologised for his 'badly misjudged comments', is now under investigation by the Commons' standards watchdog over potentially 'causing significant damage to the reputation of the House'. When this newspaper revealed the messages in February, Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and 'administratively suspended' by the Labour party immediately. However, last night, insiders claimed Labour officials at national and local level were privately appealing to Mr Gwynne, who sits as an Independent MP, not to resign and trigger a by-election in his Gorton and Denton seat. The sources said party bosses were desperate to avoid a repeat of their shock defeat in the Runcorn and Helsby contest where Mr Farage's party overturned a 14,696 Labour majority last month. With a 13,413 majority, Mr Gwynne's seat looks to be even more vulnerable. One insider predicted: 'With Reform riding high in the polls, there'd be only one winner if Gwynne resigned from the Commons and that'd be the candidate Nigel Farage picked to stand. There's no way Labour would hold it – they're scared still of Reform.' The 72-year-old from Stockport who Mr Gwynne insulted said she was angry he had not stood down yet, adding: 'If he wants to resign, Labour should allow it. I know Reform has won a seat, and they don't want to lose another.' However, one Labour MP dismissed the idea that the party wanted Mr Gywnne to stay on, stressing the strong action it had taken when his offensive messages were revealed. Mr Gwynne declined to comment.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
MPs back the Mirror's campaign for a monument to honour UK terror victims
Labour's Kim Leadbeater, Lucy Powell, Andrew Gwynne and Graham Stringer all support our fight for a lasting touchstone to honour UK victims of terror and their families MPs have backed the Mirror's campaign for a monument to honour all UK terror victims. Labour's Kim Leadbeater, Lucy Powell, Andrew Gwynne and Graham Stringer all support our fight for a lasting touchstone. Last night Kim, whose sister Jo Cox MP was murdered by a white supremacist, said: "We should never forget the people we have lost to terrorism and I congratulate the Mirror on their 'Place to Remember' campaign which I am proud to support. 'Too many people have lost their lives to terrorism and extremist violence in our country and too many families have been left having to deal with their loss." The Spen Valley MP, 49, added: "We know that people grieve in different ways, but for some people having a special place to go to remember their loved ones could provide great comfort. A memorial would also serve to remind us of the life-changing impact of the actions of those who use violence to seek to divide us." The Mirror-backed Place to Remember Campaign is calling on the government to erect a monument honouring all those affected by terror attacks in the UK. We are also demanding that calls for a National Remembrance Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism be urgently listened to. March, Security Minister Dan Jarvis launched a consultation for a day of remembrance, which is due to close next month, but this does not include plans for a shrine. For Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, the catastrophic impact of terrorism is all too familiar, having worked closely with victims of the Manchester Arena attack. Backing our campaign, she said: "As a constituency MP for Manchester Central I have seen first-hand the utter devastation and lasting trauma that terrorism causes. In Manchester, we pulled together as a city after the arena attack in 2017, and the Glade of Light memorial has provided a fitting space for remembrance and reflection in the city. 'However, a national monument to honour all those affected in the UK is perhaps overdue and would provide a central united space for remembrance. As such I support this and calls for a National Remembrance Day for victims and survivors of terrorism which would provide an opportunity for the nation to come together to remember those lost and affected.' Greater Manchester MPs Andrew Gwynne, who represents Gorton and Denton, and Graham Stringer, of Blackley and Middleton South, are also pleased to support our fight. Both leaders were heavily involved in the aftermath of Salman Abedi's blast at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, which left 22 dead and thousands more injured. Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen, was fatally shot and stabbed outside a library in Birstall, West Yorks, where she was about to hold a constituency surgery on June 16, 2016. Attacker Thomas Mair, a white supremacist who was obsessed with Nazis and apartheid-era South Africa, was handed a whole-life tariff and will likely die in prison. Jo's widower Brendan Cox, who co-founded terror victim Network Survivors Against Terror after her death, has also backed our campaign for a physical memorial.
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour minister who was sacked after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed he was part of a racist and sexist WhatsApp group is now facing calls for him to quit as an MP
A Labour Minister who was sacked after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed he was part of a racist and sexist WhatsApp group is now facing calls to quit as an MP. Andrew Gwynne was dismissed as Health Minister hours after the MoS showed Number 10 and the Labour officials vile messages he and others posted on a WhatsApp group called Trigger Me Timbers. Mr Gwynne, 50, who represents the Manchester seat of Denton and Gorton, had his Labour whip taken away immediately, as did Burnley MP Oliver Ryan, who was also a member of the WhatsApp group. In the group, Mr Gwynne joked that a 72-year-old pensioner who complained about her bins would be dead before the next council elections. He also mocked veteran Labour Parliamentarian Diane Abbott for becoming the first black MP to perform at the Opposition Dispatch Box during Prime Minister's Questions, as well as deriding a person whose name was 'too Jewish,' asking 'Is he in Mossad?' Since quitting as a Minister, Mr Gwynne has kept a low profile as an MP, rarely attending any local events, and has not been seen in Parliament. Local residents have been questioning if he deserves to receive his annual £93,904 as an MP when he does so little, said sources. Last week, more than a hundred protesters gathered outside Denton Town Hall – where Mr Gwynne has his office – demanding he stands down as an MP. The protesters chanted 'Andrew Gwynne in the bin,' a reference to him joking he wanted the Stockport pensioner dead after she dared to complain about her bins. Others held placards that read: 'Trigger Me a By-election Now!,' while a huge sign was hung below the Denton Town Hall sign, which read: 'ANDREW GWYNNE, QUIT NOW!!!' As well as Mr Gwynne, the protesters also demanded that that the 11 Labour councillors from Tameside and Stockport councils who were members of Trigger Me Timbers must also quit, one of whom is Mr Gwynne's wife, Allison, 50. She represents the Tameside ward of Denton North East. The MoS expose led to a national outcry over the vile messages a Labour Minister, an MP and over a dozen of the party's councillors and senior officials sent each other. The Labour Party suspended all members of Trigger Me Timbers pending an investigation, while Mr Gwynne is facing a separate Parliamentary Standards inquiry. Greater Manchester Police launched it own probe after receiving dozens of complaints, but last month it emerged that the force decided no further action will be taken. After three months, however, local anger in the North-West has not abated. Two weeks ago Mr and Mrs Gwynne were spotted at Denton's Crownpoint shopping park and were met by dozens of shoppers booing and heckling when they tried to get out of their car. Last week, Mr Ryan – one of the youngest MPs in Parliament at the age of 29 – faced a vote of no confidence motion at Burnley Council, during which all Labour councillors walked out at the time of voting. The motion did not pass, but councillors strongly condemned their MP during a fiery debate. Last night, a Labour spokesman said the party will not give a timeline when its investigation will be concluded. He added: '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.'
Telegraph
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Minister sacked for WhatsApp posts will not face police action
A former minister sacked over racist and sexist comments in a leaked WhatsApp group will face no further action. Andrew Gwynne is under investigation by the parliamentary authorities after he wrote in the group that he hoped a 72-year-old pensioner would soon be dead. He also joked about a local cycling campaigner being 'mown down', suggested that a local vicar be 'burned on a bonfire' and made derogatory comments about Angela Rayner and Diane Abbott. A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesman has now told The Telegraph the messages have been reviewed by a senior investigating officer, and that the force has decided to take no further action. Previously, GMP said it had begun 'initial inquiries' into the incident, and recorded a non-crime hate incident in its official figures. The messages provoked fury from constituents when they were first reported in February, while the leak to The Mail on Sunday was blamed on Mr Gwynne's political opponents. In one message, Mr Gwynne called a voter a 'hag' and said she lived in a 's--t' house, according to the full transcript of the chat, seen by The Telegraph. He apologised for the messages, describing them as 'badly misjudged', while another Labour MP in the group, Oliver Ryan, also apologised. Mr Gwynne, the MP for Denton and Reddish, was sacked from his position as a junior health minister on the day his messages were first reported. Both he and Mr Ryan have been suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation. Meanwhile, Parliament's standards commissioner has launched a separate investigation into Mr Gwynne for allegedly 'causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its Members generally'. Several people made complaints to the police after the messages were reported, prompting GMP to release a statement that 'a small number of complaints relating to publicised messages allegedly from a WhatsApp group' were being examined. They also confirmed officers had recorded a non-crime hate incident, but said 'initial inquiries' were ongoing. A GMP spokesman told The Telegraph: 'Following the complaints received relating to the recently published WhatsApp conversation, work was undertaken to review the contents by a senior investigating officer. 'As a result of this assessment, Greater Manchester Police has concluded that no further action will be taken. The complainants have been written to and advised of this outcome.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
DWP set to change PIP support for claimants with muscle and joint conditions
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a landmark initiative to speed up treatment for those enduring back, joint, and muscle issues amid lengthy waits for care. The move is part of the Government's ambitious 'Get Britain Working' white paper, aimed at rapidly returning individuals to work, reports Recent figures show that more than 1.1 million people across England and Wales receive up to £737.20 monthly in Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to help with musculoskeletal conditions. READ MORE: All the cost of living payments worth between £65 and £500 arriving in February Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join To combat high levels of economic inactivity, meaning people out of work and not seeking employment, a £3.5 million pot will be shared by 17 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England, focusing on boosting MSK services. Each area in England and Wales are expected to get a maximum of £300,000, directly addressing a key contributor to economic inactivity. These efforts align with the Labour Government's commitment to a Plan for Change, with the aim of putting "more money into people's pockets and get the NHS back on its feet". The revolutionary MSK Community Delivery Programme is set to transform the treatment of musculoskeletal patients through NHS England's trailblazing Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) scheme. In a bid to cut waiting times and hasten returns to the workplace, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are being equipped with state-of-the-art strategies and directions. Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Employment Minister Alison McGovern MP stated: "For too long people locked out of work with health issues have been forgotten about and denied the support they need to get well and get working. "It's stifling our economy and preventing those eager to progress in life from unleashing their full potential." Adding to this, she proclaimed: "This multi-million-pound funding boost means musculoskeletal patients across the country will get the help they need, as we give clinical leaders the resources to innovate, get people off waiting lists and get Britain working again." Nearly 2.8 million Brits are currently sidelined from the workforce due to lingering health woes, with MSK conditions ranking close behind mental health issues, according to the government. A staggering 23%—around 646,000 individuals—cite MSK as their primary health issue. As of September 2024, England grapples with unprecedented delays for community MSK services, with waitlists ballooning to 348,799 patients. Moreover, these ailments were to blame for an estimated 23.4 million lost workdays within the UK throughout 2022. Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne recently highlighted the significance of addressing musculoskeletal health early on, stating: "With prevention, early detection and treatment, we know that the 17 million people with musculoskeletal issues in England could better manage their conditions, improving their quality of life and enabling them to rejoin the workforce." He also pointed out the government's commitment, saying: "Through the Plan for Change, the government is taking decisive action to drive down waiting lists, improve treatment options and boost the economy." The initiative is set into motion across various Integrated Care Board (ICB) regions, aligning with NHS England's 'Further Faster' scheme and the freshly revealed WorkWell programme by the UK Government. Versus Arthritis Chief Executive Deborah Alsina MBE offered her insights into the extent of the issue by remarking: "With over 20 million people living with musculoskeletal conditions, including 10 million with arthritis, Versus Arthritis understands the devastating impact these conditions can have on working lives."
