Labour councillor quits party after exposing offensive WhatsApp group.

Vincent Ricci, a veteran Labour councillor, has left the party after nearly 50 years. He reported to party leaders about a WhatsApp group where racist, sexist, and homophobic jokes were shared. Ricci, 67, was suspended by Labour for his involvement in the "Trigger Me Timbers" group, which included prominent Labour figures in the North-West. The Mail on Sunday's report on the group's exchanges in Greater Manchester led to the dismissal of health minister Andrew Gwynne in February.

Despite raising concerns about the group to senior Labour officials and leaving it in 2022, Ricci was suspended. He was recently cleared of any wrongdoing and informed by party leaders that he was completely exonerated. However, he was reprimanded in a letter for giving an interview to BBC North-West where he claimed innocence.

The Mail on Sunday revealed that Gwynne and other Labour members joked about a pensioner wishing she would die and made sexist remarks about Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Anti-Semitic comments were also made about a person's name being "too Jewish." Following the revelations, Gwynne was sacked by Number 10, and Oliver Ryan, Labour MP for Burnley, and 11 Labour councillors in Greater Manchester were suspended.

While Ricci was cleared and readmitted to the party with a warning, he requested clarification that he was not involved in the offensive exchanges. Despite his request, Labour officials refused to issue a new statement or allow him to speak to the media. Feeling unfairly treated, Ricci resigned from the Labour party after 47 years, stating he was not part of the offensive group and had done nothing wrong.

After a six-month investigation, Ryan was reinstated to the Labour party, but Gwynne remains suspended pending further investigation. Ricci, who left the group in April 2022 after expressing concerns to party leaders, will continue serving as an independent councillor in Denton North-East. During the investigation, he faced verbal abuse and false accusations but has received support from residents since resigning from Labour.