Angela Rayner calls out fellow MP Andrew Gwynne over 'disgusting' WhatsApp group

Angela Rayner has hit out at fellow Tameside MP Andrew Gwynne over the 'disgusting' WhatsApp group he was involved in.

The Deputy Prime Minister accused her long-time Labour colleague of 'allowing' what was said in the group - including about her. Mr Gwynne, who apologised for his own 'badly misjudged' comments, was sacked as a minister and suspended from Labour on Saturday.

Former Tameside councillor Oliver Ryan, who is now the MP for Burnley, has also been suspended by the party alongside 11 councillors who were in the group. The contents of the WhatsApp group titled 'Trigger Me Timbers' is now been investigated by the Labour Party.

The Manchester Evening News understands that the group had more than a dozen members most of whom were councillors in Mr Gwynne's former constituency of Denton and Reddish. The MP, now for Gorton and Denton, has been accused of making anti-Semitic slights in the group as well as joking about a Stockport pensioner who wrote a letter about bin collections dying before an election.

Members of the group, including Mr Gwynne, also appeared to have targeted Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, with sexist comments and Dianne Abbot with racist remarks. The Tameside MP was asked about the group in an interview on Wednesday night.

She said: "First of all, I was absolutely disgusted by what is in that WhatsApp group. I'm a Tameside MP, there was things about me - but the way in which they spoke about the people we're there to represent, I was absolutely disgusted.

"I'm pleased actually that it's come to light because I don't want people like that representing our people. It's an absolute honour to represent the people I represent, the people I grew up with, and I've got a lot of time and respect