Breaking news: Congratulations to Andrew Gwynne who wins the ministerial sack race of 2025

If it came from Dominic Cummings (about the bodies) I don’t think he was a reliable form of information.
If Johnson was actually heard to say it, then that is a different matter.

Anyway, this thread is about the MP who made disgraceful remarks to his cronies on a WhatsApp group.

Your comment about Labour selling themselves as squeaky clean so comparing them with previous governments being no excuse is in itself meaningless eazybee because every new party coming into government after a break from power does exactly the same thing. How can any party ever ensure than none of its MPs transgresses in any way? Why any of them ever say they can is beyond me. Just listen to any opposition leader doing just that now. It’s a game they play.

Obviously stupid and dense as well as a vile appalling creep.. He either thinks that many people support his disgusting views or he is so thick that he actually thinks that whatever you put out online is not able to be read. Really looking at so many men who not only have horrible attitudes and behave in terrible ways, but actually think that they are entitled to their attitudes, whether it is bishops who hide child abusers and think they can make what to them is funny remarks, or mp's who think that they can make rules for others that dont apply to them. What a shower they are, they disgust me the lot of them. It clearly is not sensible to allow any men to be involve in the safeguarding of children, or to purport to represent ALL their voters, not just the few that have the same pathetic view of others. These people are no respecters of any political party, this one was a labour mp but then we were supposedly led by a lying cheating prime minister who thought that he made laws for others to follow not himself. Talk about shades of Animal Farm - all are equal but some more equal than others!!

I think Casdon is right; all Parties sell themselves as squeaky clean, but none of them are. We are entitled to judge on how any Party deals with unacceptable behaviour I think. Well obviously we judge the behaviour, but we should judge the consequences of that behaviour too, as would happen in any other area of employment.

Times have changed as to what we accept.

2019 - election year - on Boris Johnson - quite open -

"Boris Johnson has invoked some of the oldest and most pernicious antisemitic stereotypes in a book he wrote when he was a Conservative shadow minister. He describes “Jewish oligarchs” who run the media, and fiddle the figures to fix elections in their favour. The book is In Seventy Two Virgins, which Mr Johnson wrotein 2004.

He portrays a Jewish character, Sammy Katz, with a “proud nose and curly hair”, and paints him as a malevolent, stingy, snake-like Jewish businessman who exploits immigrant workers for profit. There is nothing subtle about this. We know what antisemitism looks like.

Johnson has form when it comes to anti-Jewish hatred. As editor of the Spectator he chose to publish articles in which the notorious racist Taki Theodoracopulos boasted of being “an antisemite”, argued black people “have lower IQs than whites” and praised Enoch Powell as a “great man”. Johnson defended Theodoracopulos, calling him a “distinguished columnist.

Like I said above there's a lot rife on SM still, but glad we are now working to the standards we should ask for in public life.

He has been sacked.

The irony. An absolute toad of a man who liked to criticise others for their speech. Good news.

He's been sacked from the Labour Party and from his Government post but doesn't he still have to resign as an MP?
He was elected by his constituency
not by the Government.

This will be music to the ears of the far right.

When any of them crow I think what fools they are, because next time it could be one of theirs, and it could be something worse. There were a shameful 18 MPs who had lost the whip and were standing as independents by the end of the last parliament. I feel really strongly that they should not be allowed to remain as independent MPs if the case against them is proven on investigation.

what a horrible thing to send a constituent

I've campaigned ( sort of) for a long time that prospective MPs should have a certain level of educational achievement and some work experience before they can stand as a candidate.

Now I must add the need for research to be done into the background of anyone who wishes to stand as an MP.

I'm sick of these ignorant, childish and devious MPs who cannot be trusted. Trouble is, I suspect that only a minority would support such an idea. And I have no idea where we would find honest and decent people to make unbiased decisions.

Surely education level can't be used as a guide rowyn
Since when is academic achievement any guide to a decent, honest responsible person? other qualities available

The comments are awful, but I sort of see where Oreo is coming from, in that we should all have a right to privacy, and comments made amongst friends and family should not be made public. Having nowhere to 'be oneself' (however odious that may be) is very bad for the mental health.

OTOH this was almost a work group, and politicians really need to be like Caesar's wife in some respects. It's not the same as an unguarded comment in the pub, or something said over the dinner table. The comments reflect badly on him, and by association with the Labour Party. They don't suggest that those beliefs underpin Labour views or policies however, and I agree with those saying that all parties have rogue elements, just as all companies and organisations do.

I think Starmer was right to sack him - I don't see how he could have done otherwise at the best of times, let alone at a time when so many delight in finding ways to put the party down so gleefully. I don't think there should be a by-election though. The people of his constituency wanted a Labour MP. It is bad enough that they have been let down by his behaviour, but it would not be fair if that behaviour resulted in their getting their voting intentions disregarded because of a protest against it.

JaneJudge

what a horrible thing to send a constituent

It doesnt make what was said about her right JJ or nice but it wasn't sent to her, it was part of a chat in a closed WhatsApp group.

What Casdon said - it would be unwise for any other party to crow over it because the likelihood is there are skeletons in many cupboards.

Doing checks ups would be complicated. How far back do we go? It was OK in just 2019 for Johnson to be elected despite anti semitic and racist remarks in the past (published ones)

As a teenager, Farage made pro Hitler remarks, but its generally thought its not fair to judge someone on what they said as a teenager. Who is going to check all social media going back how long?

What I hope it that this incident will serve as a warning to anyone wanting to enter public life - what was acceptable, is no more.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I blame the menopause
I am very careful what I post on Whatsapp, especially in work groups

Reform UK conference…
I’m all ears….

Job advertisement posted by AG

Job Details

Andrew Gwynne MP is looking for a caseworker to join h
is constituency team. Applicants should be an effective and friendly communicator, over the phone and in writing, and have a passion for helping the residents of Gorton and Denton.

at www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.aspx?jobid=94293

Jennerdysphoria

Job advertisement posted by AG

Job Details

Andrew Gwynne MP is looking for a caseworker to join h
is constituency team. Applicants should be an effective and friendly communicator, over the phone and in writing, and have a passion for helping the residents of Gorton and Denton.

at www.w4mpjobs.org/JobDetails.aspx?jobid=94293

It is essential that the successful candidate can demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively both in writing and orally in English, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati.

I'm not sure how similar those languages are but the job requirements seem to be extensive for the relatively low salary offered.

Will this person now be redundant too?

He represents a constituency with high levels of deprivation. I heard constituents on radio 4 expressing dismay but talking about what a good mp he is.
I understand where Oreo is coming from but, I believe a by-election is necessary. He can’t expect to stand as an Independent after this. Reform will pull the stops out and could win, their focus is ‘red wall’ seats. I have friends and relations who’ve worked with families/in education/health in Gorton. It should be Labour for good reasons but …..

Reminds me of remarks made to me, in the days before online existed. My MP, a Tory, told me that "Somebody like you shouldn't be allowed to live here. You should move away. I can do without your vote". I was at the time a Tenant, enquiring about the progress through Parliament of a change in Tenant's Rights (1974). He had just realised I was not a Landlord, as he had assumed. He considered me scum. I was working for the MoD at the time.

I really hope this now suspended-from-the-Party, now ex-minister, gets chucked out by his constituency. He deserves it. Arrogant fool.

The comments are awful,...... in that we should all have a right to privacy, and comments made amongst friends and family should not be made public. Having nowhere to 'be oneself' (however odious that may be) is very bad for the mental health.
The woman who wrote the letter to Gwynne has a right to privacy and I doubt if she was prepared for her letter to be exposed to ridicule among a group of work contacts. Some people in the constituency voted for a labour MP; some did not but they are all entitled to fair representation. That is the nature of the job.
You really believe this this sort of repellent behaviour, having 'somewhere to be oneself, however odious.' is necessary to preserve an MP's mental health?
If that is so he is clearly not suitable for public life.

eazybee

^The comments are awful,...... in that we should all have a right to privacy, and comments made amongst friends and family should not be made public. Having nowhere to 'be oneself' (however odious that may be) is very bad for the mental health.^
The woman who wrote the letter to Gwynne has a right to privacy and I doubt if she was prepared for her letter to be exposed to ridicule among a group of work contacts. Some people in the constituency voted for a labour MP; some did not but they are all entitled to fair representation. That is the nature of the job.
You really believe this this sort of repellent behaviour, having 'somewhere to be oneself, however odious.' is necessary to preserve an MP's mental health?
If that is so he is clearly not suitable for public life.

The question of privacy of comments to friends and family do not apply in this situation. These commenst were on a whats app group comprising political colleagues in all levels of the party, In other words these comments were made within a work environment and, as such need to be widely known.

What is more the sanctions placed on this ex-minster should apply to everyone in that group, because they clearly share his views, as none of them at any time said his remarks were totally out of order.

These remarks were not an odd flip remark said without real meaning. They were opinions expressed over a period of time and thus can assumed to be an indication of the person, their wired in attitudes and opinions. - and they are vile.

Somewhere to be himself?

Well yes. That’s the whole point really. This is himself. This is the man. This is what he thinks of other people. His texts covered a wide range of all those he holds in contempt.

It’s a good thing that his true self has been exposed isn’t it? Along with all the other members of the group

I’m pretty sure more will be outed from this WhatsApp group…
Just a matter of time…😬