Shadow Minister Alex Burghart has declared Labour MP Andrew Gwynne's position "untenable" following revelations of antisemitic messages in a WhatsApp group.
Speaking to GB News, Burghart highlighted Gwynne's comment about a person being "too Jewish" as particularly concerning.
Gwynne was sacked as health minister and suspended from the Labour Party over offensive messages that included antisemitic comments, racist remarks about MP Diane Abbott, and disparaging statements about a pensioner constituent.
"Keir Starmer claims that he's got on top of this problem in the Labour Party, but he clearly hasn't," Burghart told GB News.
Alex Burghart expressed his outrage at the scandal surrounding ex-Health Minister Andrew Gwynne
GB News / PA
When asked if Gwynne should resign, Burghart responded: "I don't see how, given what he said, I don't see how his position is tenable."
Burghart has called for an investigation into other members of the WhatsApp group who failed to challenge Gwynne's remarks.
"We need to know who else was on that group. Did they call Andrew Gwynne out when he said that? If not, what sanctions are going to be taken against them?" he demanded.
Burghart suggested the incident reveals deeper issues within Labour, stating: "We need all of this out in the open as quickly as possible, because otherwise it's the same old Labour, same old antisemitism within the Left in this country and it shows that Labour hasn't changed at all."
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A Labour spokesperson confirmed that Andrew Gwynne had been suspended and that an investigation was underway into the comments made in this WhatsApp groupGETTYIn response to his sacking, Gwynne issued an apology: "I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offence I've caused."
He added: "I've served the Labour Party all my life and it was a huge honour to be appointed a minister by Keir Starmer. I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken."
A Government spokesperson said: "The prime minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office and lead a government in the service of working people."
Labour confirmed Gwynne's suspension, stating they were "investigating comments made in this WhatsApp group in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures."
Alex Burghart told GB News that Gwynne's position in Parliament is 'not tenable'
GB News
The WhatsApp group, which was started in 2019, contained additional offensive content including sexist remarks about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and racist comments about Labour MP Diane Abbott.
The group reportedly included Labour councillors, party officials, and at least one other MP.
The messages also included a "joke" about hoping a 72-year-old Stockport resident would die before the next election after she wrote to him about bin collections.
In response to the resident's letter, Gwynne allegedly wrote: "Dear resident, F*** your bins. I'm re-elected and without your vote. Screw you. PS: Hopefully you'll have croaked it by the all-outs."
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