Latest news with #TriggerMeTimbers
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.'
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grandmother spoken to by police after criticising Labour politicians online
A grandmother was spoken to at her home by police after she criticised Labour politicians online for sending offensive WhatsApp messages. In a series of Facebook posts Helen Jones called for the resignation of a councillor embroiled in the WhatsApp scandal which led to the sacking of Andrew Gwynne, the former health minister. The 54-year-old school administrator, who was not accused of committing a crime, said she was left feeling scared to post on social media following the unannounced visit by two officers on Tuesday. The WhatsApp scandal erupted after it emerged Mr Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton, posted a message to Labour colleagues in a group chat saying he hoped one elderly constituent, who didn't vote for the party, would die before the next election. Mr Gwynne made the offensive comment on WhatsApp group called Trigger Me Timbers after the pensioner sent a letter to David Sedgwick, a Stockport Labour councillor, complaining about her bin collections. The letter was reportedly shared in the WhatsApp group by Cllr Sedgwick. In the wake of the scandal, Mrs Jones repeatedly posted that Cllr Sedgwick must resign from his Heatons North seat. In one post on a Facebook group called 4Heatons Hub, Mrs Jones said of Cllr Sedgwick: 'Let's hope he does the decent thing and resigns. I somehow think his ego won't allow it.' In another, after posting screenshots from the Trigger Me Timbers group, Mrs Jones wrote: 'Not looking good for Cllr Sedgwick!!!' Mrs Jones said two plain-clothes officers arrived at her home in Stockport last Tuesday at around 1.30pm, but she wasn't in and they spoke to her husband Lee via an intercom. She rushed home fearing something had happened to a relative. At 2.15pm she received a phone call from an officer thought to be the same sergeant who knocked on her door and was told the police had received a complaint about her recent social media posts. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mrs Jones said: 'It was actually quite scary. It made me think I best just keep quiet for the rest of my life, because you just can't say anything these days. 'I asked the police officer, have I committed any sort of crime – why did you call at my door? They said, 'Someone has spoken to us about your social media posts'. 'I then said: 'If I don't take your advice and continue doing what I am doing, will I be committing a crime?' He said no. I then asked: 'What will you do about it?' He said: 'There's not a lot we can do, we are just giving you advice'.' Mrs Jones also asked why they had come to her within 48 hours of a complaint despite neighbours claiming they had reported more serious crimes, and had not been visited by the police. 'I'm living my life day-to-day, law-abiding, and then suddenly I've got the police at the door showing a warrant card,' she said. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: 'We spoke to the woman for six minutes to advise she was the subject of a complaint of harassment and to answer any questions she may have. 'No further action is necessary as no crime has been committed. We are under a duty to inform her that she is the subject of a complaint. 'The genuine threats that have been made to local councillors recently have meant it has been more necessary to ensure all reports are looked at. 'On this day officers were making 203 arrests for crimes like assault, burglary and rape. Tackling these priorities are why the complaint was dealt with two days after it was reported.' It comes after a debate over the use of non-crime hate incidents (NCHI's) was sparked by Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson. The debate flared last year after Pearson was investigated by police for the crime of allegedly stirring up racial hatred in a tweet about two-tier policing. The case was subsequently dropped. Pearson initially believed she was being investigated for an NCHI. NCHIs came into force after the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, in order to monitor situations that could prompt serious harm. But they have regularly been used to record trivial incidents. More than 13,000 incidents were recorded by police officers in the year to June 2024. The College of Policing states that an NCHI is any incident where a crime has not been committed, but where it is perceived that the incident was motivated by hostility or prejudice. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Grandmother spoken to by police after criticising Labour politicians online
A grandmother was spoken to at her home by police after she criticised Labour politicians online for sending offensive WhatsApp messages. In a series of Facebook posts Helen Jones called for the resignation of a councillor embroiled in the WhatsApp scandal which led to the sacking of Andrew Gwynne, the former health minister. The 54-year-old school administrator, who was not accused of committing a crime, said she was left feeling scared to post on social media following the unannounced visit by two officers on Tuesday. The WhatsApp scandal erupted after it emerged Mr Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton, posted a message to Labour colleagues in a group chat saying he hoped one elderly constituent, who didn't vote for the party, would die before the next election. Mr Gwynne made the offensive comment on WhatsApp group called Trigger Me Timbers after the pensioner sent a letter to David Sedgwick, a Stockport Labour councillor, complaining about her bin collections. The letter was reportedly shared in the WhatsApp group by Cllr Sedgwick. In the wake of the scandal, Mrs Jones repeatedly posted that Cllr Sedgwick must resign from his Heatons North seat. In one post on a Facebook group called 4Heatons Hub, Mrs Jones said of Cllr Sedgwick: 'Let's hope he does the decent thing and resigns. I somehow think his ego won't allow it.' In another, after posting screenshots from the Trigger Me Timbers group, Mrs Jones wrote: 'Not looking good for Cllr Sedgwick!!!' Mrs Jones said two plain-clothes officers arrived at her home in Stockport last Tuesday at around 1.30pm, but she wasn't in and they spoke to her husband Lee via an intercom. She rushed home fearing something had happened to a relative. At 2.15pm she received a phone call from an officer thought to be the same sergeant who knocked on her door and was told the police had received a complaint about her recent social media posts. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mrs Jones said: 'It was actually quite scary. It made me think I best just keep quiet for the rest of my life, because you just can't say anything these days. 'I asked the police officer, have I committed any sort of crime – why did you call at my door? They said, 'Someone has spoken to us about your social media posts'. 'I then said: 'If I don't take your advice and continue doing what I am doing, will I be committing a crime?' He said no. I then asked: 'What will you do about it?' He said: 'There's not a lot we can do, we are just giving you advice'.' Mrs Jones also asked why they had come to her within 48 hours of a complaint despite neighbours claiming they had reported more serious crimes, and had not been visited by the police. 'I'm living my life day-to-day, law-abiding, and then suddenly I've got the police at the door showing a warrant card,' she said. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: 'We spoke to the woman for six minutes to advise she was the subject of a complaint of harassment and to answer any questions she may have. 'No further action is necessary as no crime has been committed. We are under a duty to inform her that she is the subject of a complaint. 'The genuine threats that have been made to local councillors recently have meant it has been more necessary to ensure all reports are looked at. 'On this day officers were making 203 arrests for crimes like assault, burglary and rape. Tackling these priorities are why the complaint was dealt with two days after it was reported.' It comes after a debate over the use of non-crime hate incidents (NCHI's) was sparked by Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson. The debate flared last year after Pearson was investigated by police for the crime of allegedly stirring up racial hatred in a tweet about two-tier policing. The case was subsequently dropped. Pearson initially believed she was being investigated for an NCHI. NCHIs came into force after the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, in order to monitor situations that could prompt serious harm. But they have regularly been used to record trivial incidents. More than 13,000 incidents were recorded by police officers in the year to June 2024. The College of Policing states that an NCHI is any incident where a crime has not been committed, but where it is perceived that the incident was motivated by hostility or prejudice.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Hag' mocked in Labour WhatsApp group claims minister swore at her in doorstep row
A grandmother who claims she was referred to as a 'hag' by Andrew Gwynne said the former minister swore at her during a doorstep row. Elaine Cole, 75, alleged on Tuesday that she was at the centre of an argument on the campaign trail described by Mr Gwynne in a leaked WhatsApp chat. Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and suspended as a Labour MP earlier this month over sexist and racist comments in the group chat. In an exchange, first revealed by The Telegraph last week, Mr Gwynne told Labour colleagues he was 'never allowed to canvas' a road in Greater Manchester again. Writing in the Trigger Me Timbers group chat, he said: 'It's where I lost my s--- in the street with some Duki hag.' 'Duki' is a reference to Dukinfield, a town in the borough of Tameside located in one of Mr Gwynne's neighbouring constituencies. David Sedgwick, a councillor on Southport council, replied: 'Tbf [To be fair] there is nothing more satisfying than losing your rag with the electorate every now and again.' Mr Gwynne added: 'She made Claire cry, and she said the street was a s---hole, so I told her she f------ well lives there!' Mr Sedgwick replied: 'These people are so stupid they don't realise they're part of the problem!' In response, Mr Gwynne typed: 'Her house was one of the s---tiest in the street.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Labour have thrown me under the bus', suspended councillor says as WhatsApp crisis deepens
A councillor has claimed he has been 'thrown under the bus' by the Labour Party after he was suspended over his membership of the Trigger Me Timbers WhatsApp group. Vincent Ricci claims he raised concerns with party chiefs about the group more than two years ago. Last weekend Andrew Gwynne, MP for Gorton and Denton, was sacked as a health minister after allegedly posting offensive remarks in the chat. Mr Gwynne later apologised for his 'badly misjudged comments'. Coun Ricci is one of 12 councillors from Tameside and Stockport suspended by Labour amid an investigation into the WhatsApp group. READ MORE: 'Somebody is racking up fines with my number plate and I know exactly who it is' READ MORE: Heartbroken parents of toddler Genevieve Meehan killed at nursery 'still searching for answers' Burnley MP Oliver Ryan, a former Tameisde councillor, has also been suspended. Coun Ricci told BBC Northwest Tonight: "I'm so annoyed and frustrated at the Labour Party because it won't listen to me. "I've told it I've got no input whatsoever and its response is 'well that's okay then, you'll be completely exonerated', which I will be, 100 per cent. I feel I've been treated absolutely disgracefully.... 49 years' service. What do they want us to do, not take it to Labour Party headquarters? Not speak to anybody? Not out them and let it all carry on? "It's disgraceful. I haven't thrown the Labour Party under the bus, they've thrown me under the bus." Coun Ricci, now sitting as an independent, said after he raised concerns he was removed from the group. He added: "I was taken off it because we'd spoken about it, that's my belief." After the scandal broke, Coun Ricci said he had received abusive messages, adding: "People out there are tarnishing me with the same brush. I don't want a part of it." A Labour Party spokesperson told the BBC: "As soon as this group was brought to our attention a thorough investigation was launched and swift action will always be taken where individuals have breached the high standards expected of Labour Party members." The following councillors have been suspended from the Labour Party, the Local Democracy Reporting Service/Manchester Evening News understands: Councillor Claire Reid, Tameside Councillor Jack Naylor, Tameside Councillor George Newton, Tameside Councillor Vincent Ricci, Tameside Councillor Charlotte Martin, Tameside Councillor Allison Gwynne, Tameside Councillor George Jones, Tameside Councillor Brenda Warrington, Tameside Councillor Denise Ward, Tameside Councillor David Sedgwick, Stockport Councillor Holly McCormack, Stockport Councillor Ged Cooney, Tameside
