What happens now Andrew Gwynne has been sacked and will there be a by-election

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour Party over comments he made in a WhatsApp group. The Gorton and Denton MP, who has been accused of making antisemitic, sexist and racist remarks in the group, has apologised for the 'badly misjudged' comments.

The Labour politician also joked about wishing a pensioner dead, according to the Mail on Sunday. Burnley MP and former Tameside councillor Oliver Ryan has also been suspended from the party after apologising for his involvement in the group titled 'Trigger Me Timbers'.

The pair are still MPs but will sit in Parliament as independents while the party investigates. There have been calls for Mr Gwynne to resign as an MP and trigger a by-election, including a petition demanding his 'immediate resignation' which has been signed by hundreds of people so far.

However, Labour sources have said that this is unlikely to happen. This is, in part, because of fears Reform UK - who came a distant second in Gorton and Denton at the general election last July - could pose a threat to Labour at a by-election.