Tameside councillor resigns – leaving council seat vacant

A Tameside councillor embroiled in the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp scandal has resigned. 

Claire Reid explained her decision was not associated with the furore surrounding the Labour fall-out earlier this year, but due to her starting ‘a new chapter in her life’ away from politics.

The former Denton South ward representative was one of the politicians involved with the WhatsApp chat that contained a number of offensive messages. ‘Crackpots’, ‘morons’ and a ‘Grade-A’ w*****’ were just some of the phrases used to describe constituents and colleagues.

The group consisted up of Labour councillors, members and activists from Denton and Reddish, as well as Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne and Burnley MP Oliver Ryan. The revelations led to a Labour Party investigation, with Mrs Reid being among the members suspended. 

She, alongside Coun Allison Gwynne, served a six-month suspension and was later allowed back into the Labour Party. Her fellow Denton South councillors George Newton and Jack Naylor were expelled from Labour following the investigation.

Despite her last year in politics being tumultuous, the ex-councillor has left with pride in her achievements from her tenure, which spanned almost two decades. 

In a statement, Claire Reid said: “It has been a privilege to represent the residents of Denton South for over 15 years.

“I took the decision to resign from the council last month to pursue a new chapter of my life, which is unfortunately not compatible with politics.

“I am proud of the many achievements secured in Denton South, most notably successfully fighting off the development of The Tame Valley.”

The resignation leaves a vacancy in the Denton South ward. No by-election has been called by the council so far, but the council seat is up for re-election in May 2026.