Claims Labour 'rigged' local election amid WhatsApp group scandal rubbished

Claims on social media Labour ‘rigged’ an election - after messages alleged to have come from the same WhatsApp group at the centre of a party scandal were posted - have been rubbished.

A Conservative Tameside councillor posted messages alleged to have come from the Trigger Me Timbers group on X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook. The post suggested members appeared to discuss then council leader Brenda Warrington instructing someone – whose name is redacted – to ‘find some votes’.

Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne, according to Liam Billington’s post, replied: “And she did.” Councillor George Newton, according to the post, then said: “83 of them.”

Coun Billington claimed the conversation related to the closely-fought Audenshaw ward election in 2021, at which Labour’s Teresa Smith was elected by a margin of just 82 votes.

The post claims Mr Gwynne continued: “And Leigh Drennan.” Mr Drennan stood in Ashton Hurst that year and came second to the Tories. Coun Billington's post claims Coun Newton then replied: “She took them from him. Fair.”

A source close to the WhatsApp group claimed the discussion was a ‘joke’ and that the messages were ‘throwaway comments’, rubbishing Coun Billington’s claims the Audenshaw election was ‘rigged’.

The WhatsApp group has made national headlines. Mr Gwynne was sacked as a junior health minister after he reportedly made anti-Semitic slights and joked about a pensioner dying before an election after she raised concerns about bin collections.

He has been suspended from the Labour party, as have nine councillors in Tameside – Claire Reid, Jack Naylor, George Newton, Vincent Ricci, Charlotte Martin, Allison Gwynne, George Jones, Brenda Warrington and Denise Ward – and two in Stockport – David