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Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Andrew Gwynne, a health minister, after offensive comments shared on a WhatsApp group came to light.
The prime minister sacked Gwynne, an ally of former leftwing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, on Saturday night as soon as he became aware of the comments, a spokesperson for Starmer said.
Gwynne, junior minister for public health and MP for Gorton and Denton, said he deeply regretted his “badly misjudged comments”, which were revealed by the Mail on Sunday, and apologised for any offence caused.
The paper reported various messages sent by Gwynne, including one in which he said he hoped a pensioner who did not vote Labour would die before the next election.
It also disclosed antisemitic slights, derogatory comments about Labour colleagues and ‘jokes’ about a constituent being “mown down’” by a truck. Gwynne did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
A government spokesperson 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.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “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.”
Gwynne has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons.
For Starmer, who is struggling to galvanise his government, it was an unwelcome political blow. Gwynne’s comments were seized upon by the Conservatives as evidence that Labour was scornful of pensioners.
In 2018, Gwynne was disclosed to have been in a Facebook group in which antisemitic messages were shared.
At the time he responded: “I was added to this Facebook group without my knowledge or permission. I DO NOT support the posts and I ABHOR anti-Semitism.”
Nigel Huddleston MP, Tory co-chair, suggested that Gwynne’s comments confirmed that Labour had “contempt for pensioners”.
Starmer’s government last year withdrew winter fuel payments from 10mn pensioners.
