Britain's junior health minister has been sacked following a controversy over inappropriate comments

British Prime Minister Starmer has announced the sacking of Andrew Gwynne as a junior health minister. This is an emergency response to the controversy caused by Gwen's "seriously inappropriate remarks."

According to the Mail on Sunday, Gwynn made a number of inappropriate comments in a WhatsApp group. He joked in the group about a voter who "got hit by a truck" and made a disrespectful comment about a 72-year-old female voter.

Starmer's Labour Party won a landslide election last July, but after only seven months in power, the government has suffered several setbacks. The Gwen incident is the latest in a series of incidents.

Gwynne was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 July 2024, with responsibility for public health. Upon learning of Gwynne's inappropriate comments, Starmer quickly decided to dismiss and suspend her from the party. According to outside sources, Gwynn's comments involved anti-Semitism, racism and sexism, which triggered widespread criticism.

Gwen later posted on social media: "I deeply regret my inappropriate comments and apologize for any offense caused... I fully understand the decision taken by the Prime Minister and the party."

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's office said: "The Prime Minister is committed to upholding high standards of conduct in his public role and leading a government that works for working people. He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has done in this case."

In November, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh became the first member of Starmer's cabinet to resign after pleading guilty to criminal offences before she was elected. The incident has heightened questions about the new government's ability to govern.