Suspended labour MP Andrew Gwynne set to resign following WhatsApp messages scandal

Andrew Gwynne, a former Labour health minister, is set to resign from his seat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Gorton and Denton in Greater Manchester.

His resignation paves the way for the UK Labour Party’s most prominent figures, Andy Burnham, to return to national politics.

Senior government and party sources indicated that he may be retiring due to medical reasons following a long suspension and an investigation into his conduct by the parliamentary watchdog.

Gwynne was suspended from the party in 2025 following a newspaper article in which his offensive messages from a private messaging group were published.

At that time, he apologised for his actions, justifying his remarks as “badly misjudged.”

The investigation on that matter is not concluded yet. However, his resignation news is emerging.

If Gwynne steps down, a by-election will be conducted in his constituency. This can be a route back to Parliament for Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a former cabinet minister.

Burnham, an extremely popular figure in Labour ranks, had always been seen as a potential challenger to Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Starmer, although under Labour Party law, Burnham had to first become an MP in order to run against Starmer and others for leadership.