A veteran Labour councillor has quit his party after almost 50 years after whistleblowing to party chiefs about a WhatsApp group where racist, sexist and homophobic jokes were made.
Vincent Ricci, 67, was suspended by Labour for being a member of the so-called Trigger Me Timbers group, featuring key Labour figures in the North-West.
The Mail on Sunday's revelations about the exchanges involving Labour figures Greater Manchester led to health minister Andrew Gwynne being sacked in February.
Mr Ricci's suspension came even though he raised concerns about the group to senior Labour officials before quitting the group in disgust in 2022.
The councillor was finally cleared of any wrongdoing earlier this month, and was told by party bosses in a letter that he was exonerated completely.
