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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Josh Halliday North of England editor

Labour’s Gorton and Denton byelection campaign hit by fallout from ‘vile’ WhatsApp chat

Andrew Gwynne
Andrew Gwynne apologised again last week for the messages as he announced his retirement as the MP for the south-east Manchester seat. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

Labour’s campaign for a vital byelection has been dealt a fresh blow after six local councillors were found to have breached standards rules in a “vile” WhatsApp chat.

Andrew Gwynne, a former health minister, was suspended last year over offensive messages he sent in the “Trigger Me Timbers” group, including one saying he hoped a 72-year-old woman “croaks it” before an election.

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