Eleven Labour councillors in north-west England have now been suspended in the row over controversial messages in a WhatsApp group, on top of the two MPs who have already lost the whip.
A Labour spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday night that nine Tameside and two Stockport councillors had been suspended, following Oliver Ryan and Andrew Gwynn also being handed suspensions.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, a group of councillors have been administratively suspended from the Labour Party.
“As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was launched in line with the Labour Party’s rules and procedures and this process is ongoing. Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.”
The BBC reports that the councillors are as follows:
- Cllr Claire Reid, Tameside Council
- Cllr Jack Naylor, Tameside Council
- Cllr George Newton, Tameside Council
- Cllr Vincent Ricci, Tameside Council
- Cllr Charlotte Martin, Tameside Council
- Cllr Allison Gwynne, Tameside Council
- Cllr George Jones, Tameside Council
- Cllr Brenda Warrington, Tameside Council
- Cllr Denise Ward, Tameside Council
- Cllr David Sedgwick, Stockport Council
- Cllr Holly McCormack, Stockport Council
For more from LabourList, subscribe to our daily newsletter roundup of all things Labour – and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, Threads, X or Facebook .
- SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
- SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
- DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
- PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
- ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].
More from LabourList
‘The Supreme Court Equality Act ruling raises more questions than it answers’
Supreme Court verdict on women and Equality Act: Government welcomes ‘clarity’ but Labour tensions flare
The meme elections: Labour’s social media pivot to take fight to Farage