BBC Radio 4 presenter Amol Rajan put Labour under the spotlight today, pressing a government minister on whether the party had earned the label of the “nasty party” following a shocking WhatsApp scandal.
The controversy erupted after health minister Andrew Gwynne was sacked over offensive messages leaked to the Mail on Sunday, including one where he expressed hope that an elderly voter would die. The Labour Party swiftly suspended Gwynne while an investigation is underway.
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Adding to the turmoil, backbencher Oliver Ryan also lost the Labour whip after allegedly mocking another MP’s sexuality in the same group chat. The scandal has sparked fresh concerns about the party’s internal culture and discipline.
Amol Rajan Presses Minister on Labour’s Culture
During an interview with skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Rajan listed many troubling incidents tied to Labour. He asked whether the party now fit the “nasty party” label—a term originally used by Theresa May in 2002 to describe how the public saw the Conservative Party.
“Many of your colleagues are sending pretty horrific messages on WhatsApp,” Rajan said. “So far, we know about racist jokes about Diane Abbott, who happens to be Black, and a dollop of antisemitism, too.”
The reference to Abbott follows an earlier controversy in which she accused Labour leader Keir Starmer of treating her like a “non-person” after a Tory donor suggested she “should be shot.”
Labour has also struggled with past allegations of antisemitism, with the UK’s human rights watchdog ruling in 2020 that the party had been responsible for “unlawful” harassment and discrimination.
Labour Minister Defends Party’s Response
In response to Rajan’s questioning, Baroness Smith pushed back on the “nasty party” claim.
“I don’t accept that,” she said.
Amol Rajan interrupted: “Well, they’re pretty nasty messages, and they come from a lot of Labour figures.”
Smith acknowledged the messages were “completely unacceptable” but defended Starmer’s swift action in removing those responsible.
“Nobody, whatever party they’re in, whatever job they’re in, should be saying those sorts of things about other people,” she stated. “What is in stark contrast to what we’ve seen previously is a prime minister who has acted quickly to demonstrate that those things are unacceptable.”
Although Gwynne and Ryan remain MPs, they now sit as independents, a stark reminder of Labour’s determination to distance itself from the scandal.
With pressure mounting, the party faces a critical test in proving that it has learned from past missteps and remains committed to upholding its values.
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