"His Name is Too Jewish. Is He in the Mossad?" Labour Minister Fired Over Humiliating Racist Messages

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed a minister from his government today (Saturday) and suspended him from the party after messages surfaced in which he wished for the death of an elderly woman who had not supported him before the next election cycle. The minister, Andrew Gwynne, who served as a junior minister in the Department of Health, also allegedly sent a series of messages containing racist and misogynistic remarks, including antisemitic statements and derogatory comments about Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister.

According to a report in the Daily Mail on Sunday, 50-year-old Gwynne made the offensive remarks in a WhatsApp group with local party activists. Prime Minister Starmer dismissed Gwynne after the party received the messages from the tabloid. "The Prime Minister demands a high standard of conduct from public representatives and absolute commitment to serving citizens," a government spokesperson said. "He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who does not meet these standards, as happened in this case."

Among the messages sent by the MP for Gorton and Denton (Greater Manchester) was a cynical remark in which he wished for the death of a 72-year-old woman who had contacted the local Labour representative regarding waste collection. "On the occasion of your re-election, I thought it was the right time to reach out to you about the bin collections," the resident wrote. When the letter was shared in the WhatsApp group, Gwynne suggested responding: "Dear resident, f&ck your bins. I got elected without your vote, so go f&ck yourself. P.S. – I hope you drop dead before the next local elections."

In other messages, it was claimed that he said about a certain individual that they had a name that was "too Jewish" and "too militant." During a discussion about a Labour Party meeting in the Reddish area, one of the group members asked if Marshall Rosenberg would be present (according to Mail on Sunday, this was likely a reference to the late American psychologist who developed conflict resolution methods that could have been useful in Labour's heated debates). Gwynne responded: "No. He sounds too militant and too Jewish. Maybe he's in the Mossad?"

On another occasion, according to Mail on Sunday, he wrote: "Geoffrey the Giraffe says don’t be mean to Jews" (Geoffrey the Giraffe is the mascot of the famous toy store chain Toys 'R' Us).

He also made offensive comments about Diane Abbott, a veteran Labour MP, and about Rayner. In 2019, in the WhatsApp group (called "Trigger Me Timbers"), Gwynne allegedly made a dismissive remark about Abbott’s historic appearance as a Black woman at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQ), calling it a "joke." He added sarcastically that the appearance happened "probably because it’s Black History Month."

In March 2021, when Rayner faced criticism for claiming parliamentary expenses for Apple AirPods worth £249, Gwynne shared a tweet from a parody account named "MP Tammi Pax," which linked the case to a crude sexual innuendo. The tweet read: "I don’t understand the problem. It’s just impossible to suck with wired earphones. Anyone from a background like Angela’s would get it."

Gwynne responded today to his dismissal: "I deeply regret my inappropriate statements and apologize for any harm I have caused. I fully understand the decisions made by the Prime Minister and the party, and although I am very saddened by my suspension, I will support them in any way possible." A Labour spokesperson said, "Andrew Gwynne has been administratively suspended from his membership in the Labour Party. We are investigating the statements made in the WhatsApp group in accordance with party rules and procedures."