Latest news with #ArmedForcesDay
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
MP who was suspended over vile WhatsApp group 'embarrassingly' admits he edited a photo to make it look like he'd gone to Armed Forces Day
An MP who was suspended over a vile WhatsApp group has 'embarrassingly' admitted he edited a photo to make it look like he attended Armed Forces Day. Andrew Gwynne, the member for Gorton and Denton, Greater Manchester, was exposed for his racist and sexist comments by The Mail on Sunday in February. The former public health minister's remarks in the chat called Trigger Me Timbers included a vile post saying he hoped a pensioner who did not vote Labour would die before the next election. The MP, who apologised for his 'badly misjudged comments', is now under investigation by the Commons' standards watchdog over potentially 'causing significant damage to the reputation of the House'. When this newspaper revealed the messages in February, Mr Gwynne was sacked as a health minister and 'administratively suspended' by the Labour party immediately. And now, he has posted an image purporting to be of him at Armed Forces Day celebrations in his home town of Denton on Saturday, June 28. But members of the public quickly noticed his pose and attire were the exact same as a shot of him on the other side of his constituency, in Levenshulme, the day before. Mr Gwynne has since apologised: 'It [was] just a simple mistake. As soon as I saw it had been posted I removed it. 'I had forwarded 15 images taken by my son to my office, who do my social media posts. 'I don't look at social media anymore as it's not good for my mental ill health which I'm really struggling with right now. 'I do, however, do the infographics that go up as no-one else can use Canva since Tim [Hammersley-Rich, his former senior researcher] left. 'I had intended [to do] a covering photo apologising for not being in attendance and this is the early saved part of that from Canva, which must have saved to my camera roll and I forwarded it with the rest. 'In the end, I just thought it best to have pics from the day without an explanation which is what's up. 'A simple, honest mistake rectified very quickly and just a little bit embarrassing.' Mr Gwynne's constituency office stands besides Denton's Victoria Park, where the event to celebrate and honour service men and women took place. But it has also been the scene of demonstrations calling for the resignation of the MP, who since his suspension has served as an independent candidate. The face of his Tameside borough councillor wife Allison Gwynne, who is also suspended over the WhatsApp scandal, has been scrawled over on information posters. And Tony Moran, a Labour Party member of 56 years who has worked alongside Mr Gwynne in Denton, told of his feelings on the controversy. The chair of the town's Victoria Park Community Centre aid: 'This has cut deep. If he thinks he's coming back, he must be deluded, because he's toxic now as an MP. 'Nobody will vote for him now. He was laughing at people behind their backs. 'People have been upset and felt betrayed because some of the comments are about some of the people he's supposed to be representing. 'And if I saw him, I'd say, "Hang your head in shame". 'What Andrew's done, though, is he's created a cult and if you're not in that cult, he doesn't answer you. 'Sometimes you have to have a s*** sandwich and you have to deal with it. But no. He's very immature. He's passionate about being liked, he doesn't like rejection. 'Everybody in life goes through a dark patch, don't they? If he's saying, "I'm mentally ill", I'd be the first to say, "Right, how can we help you? What can we do?"' 'If he's using it as a card, it's too big an issue.' Mr Gwynne is not the first Tameside MP to be caught up in a row over using doctored images. In 2007, then Stalybridge and Hyde representative James Purnell faced controversy over a picture purporting to show him at Tameside Hospital in Ashton-under-Lyne. The snap also featured other MPs, including a young Mr Gwynne, who has served as a member in the area since 2005. But in fact, Mr Purcell's image was actually inserted into the photograph - as he had not shown up to the photo call on time. The hospital said in a statement: 'As we would not be able to stage a repeat of this historic day for the hospital, we decided to take a photograph of Mr Purnell in the same spot very shortly after, and merge it with the earlier photograph, to which Mr Purnell kindly consented. 'We apologise if anyone feels misled.' Mr Gwynne (pictured in 2019) was stripped of his job as health minister and had his membership of the Labour Party suspended by Sir Keir Starmer when he was told by The Mail on Sunday about vile WhatsApp messages the MP had sent But his office said at the time: 'It is not as if he was never there. In no way did James say, "Just add me in so it looks like I was there".' Mr Gwynne was stripped of his job as health minister and had his membership of the Labour Party suspended by Sir Keir Starmer when he was told by The Mail on Sunday about vile WhatsApp messages the MP had sent. A Government spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office. He will not hesitate to take action against any Minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case.' In one particularly shocking comment, the Gorton and Denton MP said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins. He also made anti-Semitic slights and 'jokes' about a constituent being 'mown down' by a truck in the leaked messages from the local group chat called Trigger Me Timbers. The Stockport resident wrote to her local councillor saying she hadn't voted Labour, but added: 'As you have been re-elected I thought it would be an appropriate time to contact you with regard to the bin collections.' After the councillor shared the letter among fellow Labour figures in the WhatsApp group, Mr Gwynne wrote a suggested response: '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.' In one particularly shocking comment, the Gorton and Denton MP (pictured in 2017) said he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead after she dared to ask about her bins 'All-outs' are elections at which every council seat is contested at once. Accepting his fate after The Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed his vile messages, Mr Gwynne wrote on social media: 'I deeply regret my badly misjudged commments and apologise for any offence I've caused. '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 and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can.' The messages were exchanged in a group called Trigger Me Timbers, which Mr Gwynne shares with more than a dozen Labour councillors, party officials and at least one other MP, all based on the outskirts of Manchester. The MoS gained access to thousands of messages from the closed group, which was set up in 2019, and discovered a barrage of abusive texts. Among them are: Mr Gwynne saying someone 'sounds too Jewish' and 'too militaristic', apparently from their name alone; Racist comments about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott, mocking her historic achievement in becoming the first black MP at either Despatch Box for Prime Minister's Questions; Sexist comments about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner performing a sex act; Mr Gwynne mocking a local Labour leader as 'Colin C*mface'. It comes after the former councillor (pictured) was investigated over comments in the WhatsApp group Shortly after, a second MP was suspended by Labour over their membership of the vile WhatsApp group. Oliver Ryan, the 29-year-old Burnley MP, lost the Labour whip in Parliament and now sits as an independent in the House of Commons. It comes after the former councillor was investigated over comments in the WhatsApp group. Police confirmed they had received complaints about the WhatsApp messages and had recorded a non-crime hate incident while making 'initial inquiries'. In the private chat, Mr Ryan took part with others in apparently homophobic banter as they joked about a fellow Labour MP being gay. In a series of posts, Mr Ryan also made cruel remarks about a local Labour leader and life-long lollipop man in Greater Manchester called Colin Bailey. A Labour spokesman said: 'As part of our WhatsApp group investigation, Oliver Ryan has been administratively suspended as a member of the Labour Party. 'As soon as this group was brought to our attention, a thorough investigation was immediately launched and this process is ongoing in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures. 'Swift action will always be taken where individuals are found to have breached the high standards expected of them as Labour Party members.' The Tories at the time demanded Sir Keir Starmer now expel both Mr Ryan and Mr Gywnne from Labour and 'show some leadership'. But a senior Labour figure earlier dodged on whether those MPs involved in the WhatsApp group should be kicked out of the party for good. Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle condemned the messages exchanged in the group - but insisted 'anyone can make mistakes'. It was claimed earlier this month Labour had privately urged Mr Gwynne not to resign - for fears of losing another by-election to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Sources said the former health minister, who now serves as an Independent MP, was facing appeals from party officials at national and local level not to resign and trigger a by-election in his Gorton and Denton seat. They said Labour was 'scared stiff' that if he stood down, it would hand Mr Farage another by-election triumph akin to Reform's shock victory in Runcorn and Helsby last month. But local Labour officials are also said to be worried snatching Mr Gwynne's Greater Manchester seat would give Reform a platform to oust nearby Labour big-hitters Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds at the next general election. The claims came after Sir Keir made clear he now considered Reform to be Labour's main enemy, saying the Tory party was 'sliding into the abyss'. In the Runcorn and Helsby contest, Mr Farage's party overturned a 14,696 Labour majority. With a 13,413 majority, Mr Gwynne's seat looks to be even more vulnerable. One insider predicted: 'With Reform riding high in the polls, there'd be only one winner if Gwynne resigned from the Commons and that'd be the candidate Nigel Farage picked to stand. 'There's no way Labour would hold it – they're scared still of Reform.' The 72-year-old from Stockport who Mr Gwynne insulted said she was angry he had not stood down yet. She added:: 'If he wants to resign, Labour should allow it. I know Reform has won a seat, and they don't want to lose another.' But one Labour MP dismissed the idea the party wanted Mr Gywnne to stay on, stressing the strong action it had taken when his offensive messages were revealed.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MP apologises for 'simple honest mistake' after photoshopped picture posted online
A Greater Manchester MP has apologised for a 'simple mistake' after a photoshopped picture was posted to his Facebook page. Independent MP for Gorton and Denton Andrew Gwynne took to his Facebook page yesterday (June 28) to post about Tameside Armed Forces Day, which took place in Denton on Saturday. "Armed forces day in Denton is in full swing," he wrote in the post. "There's lots of fun and entertainment throughout the day up to 4pm in Victoria Park." READ MORE: Battle is on to save hidden school masterpiece READ MORE: 'I was stuck in Glastonbury mosh pit with death chants and fake blood' This was accompanied by a series of photos of the event - one of which appeared to show Mr Gwynne there in person. But eagle-eyed commentators noticed that the photo had been edited. A snap of Mr Gwynne at Levenshulme Market the day before appeared to have been superimposed onto another photo of the event in Denton. In messages seen by the M.E.N, critics claim that this amounted to the MP 'pretending' to have attended - but Mr Gwynne insists that it was 'a simple mistake'. "As soon as I saw it had been posted I removed it," he said in a statement. "I had forwarded 15 images taken by my son to my office who do my social media posts. "I had intended doing a covering photo apologising for not being in attendance and this [photo] is the early saved part of that from Canva [the photo editing app] which must have saved to my camera roll and I forwarded it with the rest. He called it 'a bit embarrassing,' but added: "It was a simple honest mistake." Mr Gwynne has been an MP in Denton since 2005. He was suspended from the Labour party in February this year for comments he had posted in a Whatsapp group used by Manchester Labour politicians. At the time, he wrote on X: "I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologise for any offense I've caused. "I entirely understand the decisions the PM and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can."
ITV News
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Hundreds come together to commemorate Armed Forces Day in Cumbria
People across the Border region have celebrated Armed Forces went along to an event at Carlisle Football Club's Fanzone at Brunton Park to see military vehicles from World War Two, and to enjoy performances of military music, parades and stalls. Armed Forces Day is a chance to commemorate the links and extensive history that the military services have in our region. Keith Richardson, from the Royal British Legion in Carlisle, said: "Armed Forces Day is very, very important to current service members, veterans and their families. And there's been an absolutely excellent turnout here. This is the first time that we've had so many forces charitable associations here, and they've all been networking with each other, which is great for the veterans community." He said that it was particularly poignant to remember veterans because it is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on August the 15th. Cumbria has a strong affiliation with the local regiment and many of its serving soldiers were still fighting in the Far East during the second world war - even after Victory in Europe had been declared. He said: "VJ day that's coming up shortly is very, very important for Cumberland because the the Kings own Border Regiment or the Border Regiment as they were, were still fighting in Japan. "So the locals were still fighting in Japan until VJ day on the 15th of August. So it's very important that we still keep the traditions going and make people remember, because the British Legion and the other charities remember what has gone before us and try and help those that are struggling with any difficulties." Elsewhere in the region, the Armed Forces Day flag has been flying on buildings such as in Coldstream where the British Army's oldest continuously serving regiment the Coldstream Guards, were formed in 1650. Councillor John Greenwell, Champion for Armed Forces and Veterans at Scottish Borders Council, said: "The Borders is steeped in military history. In Coldstream, we're about to have our Civic Week, which commemorates the Battle of Flodden, in 1513. We have the Coldstream Guards, the KOSB."
Metro
21 hours ago
- Metro
Red Arrows flight path: Where and when to see today's Battle of Britain display
The Red Arrows are taking to the skies today to commemorate Armed Forces Day. If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the impressive displays, you might just be in luck today if you're on or near one of the flight paths. Red Arrows are Hawk T1 fast-jets, which can reach a maximum speed of 660mph, while they can exceed the speed of sound in a dive. At 11.45 am, the famous fleet will perform at the Isle of Wight display for the Battle of Britain. Around 12.21 pm, they will be visible at Bournemouth, before flying overseas and reaching Southend airport to stop for a break. Just after 5 pm, the Red Arrows will leave Southend Airport, passing over Gravesend and flying over Pembury in Kent at 5.08 pm. The famous planes will then fly over Kent again, reaching Benenden at 5.14 pm, before reaching Headcorn at 5.15 pm. They will then pass Harrietsham at 5.49 pm, and be visible near Sheppey around 5.50 pm. Today's displays are for the Battle of Britain show, and will include flights by Spitfire and Hurricane planes, both of which were involved in the actual battle during World War Two. From July 10, 1940, until October 31, the Battle of Britain raged over British skies. It overlapped with the Blitz which saw German bombs rain down on London and other UK cities such as Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow. Anyone dreaming of becoming a Red Arrow pilot needs to have a minimum of 1,500 flying hours under their belt, have completed a frontline, operational tour and be assessed above average as a pilot. More Trending The home of the Red Arrows, aptly nicknamed 'The Reds,' is at the RAF Waddington base in Lincolnshire. The arrows moved there in late 2022 after 40 years at RAF Scampton. In case you didn't catch the Red Arrows in London this year, you can find all the landmarks that will be illuminated in red, white and blue tonight here. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Red Arrows flight path: today's Armed Forces Day flyover route and schedule MORE: Which countries have reintroduced conscription in Europe? MORE: If Britain went to war I wouldn't hesitate to enlist
Scotsman
a day ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
SNP's policy of 'unarmed' Armed Forces is sheer madness
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As the UK yesterday marked Armed Forces Day – described as 'a chance to show your support' for the men and women in the military – SNP ministers will hopefully have been reflecting on their spectacularly bizarre stance on defence spending. While the nationalists have long opposed nuclear weapons, they are not a pacifist party. They support membership of Nato, pledging an independent Scotland would be a 'reliable and dedicated international partner' like Denmark and Norway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They also say our domestic defence industry 'will not just be welcome in an independent Scotland but will be a vital part of our ability to have a defence capability that matches an Independent Scotland's needs and threats' and criticise the UK Government for 'a failure to meet Scotland's specific defence needs'. Ukraine needs munitions and so does the British Army (Picture: Sergey Shestak) | AFP via Getty Images 'Russian threat is very real' So it is all the more difficult to understand why it is a 'long-standing position' of the SNP that government funding should not be provided for the 'direct manufacture of munitions'. So, for example, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish National Investment Bank do not invest in companies that make weapons. Former SNP defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald has now rightly criticised the ban as 'a stupid policy' and called for a new debate. His comments followed a hint by John Swinney that the party's stance could change as 'we are living in a very different context today' and 'the Russian threat is very real'. However a Scottish Government source explained ministers were struggling with how to 'manage' the issue within the party. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But, with the UK set to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, now is not the time to tip-toe around the subject. Not only is the manufacturing of munitions and weapons vital to defend this country and to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion, it is also a major economic opportunity.
