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Sir Keir Starmer sined Andrew Gwynne, a Minister of Health, after offensive comments shared on a WhatsApp group appeared.
The Prime Minister dismissed Gwynne, an ally of the former left-wing work head, Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday evening as soon as he learned of the comments, said a Starmer spokesperson.
Gwynne, Junior Minister of Public Health and MP for Gormon and Denton, said that he deeply regretted his “badly judged comments”, which were revealed By mail on Sunday and apologized for any caused offense.
The newspaper reported various messages sent by Gwynne, one in which he said he hoped that a retiree who does not vote for work would die before the next elections.
He also disclosed slight anti -Semitic, derogatory comments on labor colleagues and “jokes” on a constituent being “mowed” by a truck. Gwynne did not immediately respond to a request for additional comments.
A government spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is determined to comply with the high standards of conduct in the public service and to lead a government to the workers. He will not hesitate to take measures against any minister who does not meet these standards, as he did in this case. »»
A labor spokesperson said: “We are investigating the comments made in this WhatsApp group in accordance with the Labor Party Rules and Procedures. Rapid measures will be taken if individuals have violated the high standards expected from them as members of the Labor Party. »»
Gwynne also lost the party whip in the House of Commons.
To Starmer, who has trouble galvanizing his government, was an unwanted political blow. Gwynne’s comments were seized by the conservatives as proof that the work despised retirees.
In 2018, Gwynne was revealed that it was in a Facebook group in which anti -Semitic messages have been shared.
As he replied: “I was added to this Facebook group without my knowledge or my authorization. I do not support messages and I hate anti -Semitism. »»
Nigel Huddleston, master, co -president of Tory, suggested that Gwynne’s comments confirmed that work had “contempt for retirees”.
Last year, the Starmer government withdrew winter fuel payments of 10 million retirees.
