Labour suspends 11 councillors over WhatsApp group

Labour suspends 11 councillors over WhatsApp group
A Labour Party  cockade on an unidentified man wearing a black  coat.
Not a valid attachment ID.
Labour has suspended 11 councillors in Greater Manchester as part of an investigation into a WhatsApp group where offensive messages were  shared.
The group,  uncovered by the Mail on Sunday  at the weekend, has already led to the suspension of two Labour MPs  from the  area.
Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne was suspended on  Saturday after admitting  making "seriously ill-judged" comments. He  has also  been sacked as  Health Secretary.
Burnley MP Oliver Ryan was suspended on Monday, saying earlier he had made comments "which I deeply  regret". Oliver Ryan suspended as Labour MP over WhatsApp messages
Health  Secretary Andrew Gwynne  has messages raided
The suspensions  - from Tameside and Stockport councils  - are thought to  be linked to suspected membership of the group,  called Trigger Me Timbers, which was set up to  coordinate Labour's  campaign in the  area.
It is  unclear why the councillors  were suspended and Labour has not  produced evidence  that the councillors posted offensive  messages.
They include Allison Gwynne,  the wife of Andrew  Gwynne, who is a councillor on Tameside  Council, and Brenda Warrington,  his former  boss.
A Labour Party  spokesman said: "As part of our  investigation into the WhatsApp  group, a group of councillors have been administratively suspended from the Labour  Party.
"As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a  full investigation was launched in  accordance with Labour  Party rules and  procedures, and this process is  ongoing." "Swift action will always be taken  when individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as  members of the Labour  Party."
Advertisement
MP suspensions
Andrew Gwynne said in a statement after his  dismissal on Saturday night  that he regretted his  comments and apologised for "any offence  caused".
In the messages  first seen by the Mail on Sunday, he said he hoped a 72-year-old woman  died soon after  writing to her local councillor about bin  collection.
The newspaper said Gwynne also joked about a  voter being "mown down" by a  lorry.
Ryan's messages were sent before he was elected as an MP but were reported in the Daily Mail on Sunday  evening.
They appear to show Ryan mocking another Labour MP for his  sexuality and denigrating the local Labour  party MP. In his statement, Ryan said:  "I have not  seen all the messages but I accept responsibility for not being more proactive in challenging what  has been said.
"I myself have made some comments which I deeply regret and would not  have made today, and for  that I  sincerely apologise."
The BBC understands  that the  suspended Labour Party councillors are:
Cllr Claire Reid, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Jack Naylor, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr George Newton, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Vincent Ricci, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Charlotte Martin, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Allison Gwynne, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr George Jones, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Brenda Warrington, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr Denise Ward, Tameside  Councillor
Cllr David Sedgwick, Stockport  Councillor
Cllr Holly McCormack, Stockport  Councillor
The BBC has  contacted the councillors  to comments.

[attachment deleted by admin]