A second Westminster member, 29-year-old Labour MP for Burnley, Oliver Ryan, has been identified as a participant in the WhatsApp group where offensive and discriminatory messages were exchanged. This revelation follows the sacking of health minister Andrew Gwynne, who was also a member of the group. Greater Manchester Police are currently investigating complaints against the group's content. Mr. Ryan has apologized for his involvement and expressed regret for the comments made in the group.
A Young Labour MP has been revealed as the second Westminster member of a WhatsApp group where racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic messages were exchanged. The shocking posts led to the swift dismissal of health minister Andrew Gwynne after The Mail on Sunday brought them to the attention of Downing Street on Saturday. Now, it has been uncovered that Oliver Ryan , the 29-year-old MP for Burnley, was another key participant in the group, contributing over 2,000 messages.
The Daily Mail has also learned that Greater Manchester Police are currently reviewing numerous complaints lodged against the offensive content shared within the WhatsApp group. In the private chat, dubbed 'Trigger Me Timbers,' Mr. Ryan engages in what appears to be homophobic banter with others, making lighthearted jokes about a fellow Labour MP's sexuality. Furthermore, in a series of posts, Mr. Ryan makes cruel remarks about a local Labour leader and a longtime lollipop man in Greater Manchester named Colin Bailey. Calls for Mr. Ryan to be stripped of the Labour whip have intensified, with the Tories demanding that Sir Keir Starmer take immediate action. Former party chairman Richard Holden stated, 'With such hateful remarks being spewed, getting to the bottom of this situation should be Sir Keir Starmer's top priority. Sir Keir should not hide behind the process to delay action, especially with concerns that there were more MPs, councillors, and Labour members involved.' Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart echoed these sentiments, adding, 'That was a big WhatsApp group with a lot of other Labour members on. Did any of them step in at the time? Did any of them call that out? If the Prime Minister doesn't take action against everyone in that group, very quickly, we know that there is still a problem in the Labour Party.' Last night, Mr. Ryan issued an apology, expressing regret for his comments. He stated, 'Between 2019 and early 2022, I was a member of a WhatsApp group created by my MP and former employer, Andrew Gwynne. Some of the comments made in that group were completely unacceptable, and I fully condemn them. I regret not speaking out at the time, and I recognise that failing to do so was wrong. I did not see every message, but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what was said. I also made some comments myself which I deeply regret and would not make today and for that I wholeheartedly apologise. I will co-operate fully with the Labour Party's investigation.'Mr. Ryan is a longstanding friend of Mr. Gwynne, who posted messages that included mocking a pensioner who did not vote Labour and expressing ill wishes for her demise before the next council election. The pensioner from Stockport had written to her Labour councillor, David Sedgwick, stating she had not voted for him but requesting his assistance with bin collections. Mr. Sedgwick posted the letter on the group, prompting Mr. Gwynne to compose a mock reply on Mr. Sedgwick's behalf. He wrote, 'Dear resident, F*** your bins. I'm re-elected and without your vote. Screw you, Dave. Ps Hopefully you'll have croaked it by the all-outs.' Mr. Gwynne was promptly dismissed as a minister and suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation. A No. 10 spokesperson stated, 'The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office. He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.'Meanwhile, Mr. Ryan, who is himself gay, makes inappropriate comments about a Labour MP, whose identity has been withheld. In February 2019, one member describes the MP as 'a thick posh lazy oaf. Factually correct but lacks pizzazz.'
Labour MP Oliver Ryan Whatsapp Group Racism Sexism Anti-Semitism Andrew Gwynne Political Scandal UK Politics
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