Labour has been plunged into an election fraud scandal after a damning WhatsApp exchange allegedly exposed a deliberate rigging of votes in Tameside.
Conservative Councillor Liam Billington has gone on record claiming to have obtained a copy of the so-called Burn Book, also known as Trigger Me Timbers—a Labour group chat where senior figures allegedly discussed vote tampering in the 2021 local elections.
In a bombshell statement, Cllr. Billington said:
“In a group chat, the Audenshaw local election result was discussed. The vote was extremely close. As we counted on the night, we believed our candidate, Daniel Mather, may have won. However, during the verification process, the results told a different story—and now we know why.”
According to the leaked messages, Labour MP Andrew Gwynne and Cllr. George Newton allegedly admitted that Brenda Warrington, the former leader of Tameside Council, instructed a staff member to “find votes.”
Newton then reportedly boasted: “83 of them”—the exact margin by which Conservative candidate Daniel Mather lost the Audenshaw seat.
Shockingly, it is further alleged that votes were removed from another Labour candidate, Cllr. Leigh Drennan, who subsequently lost to Conservative Cllr. Dan Costello. Drennan’s loss is believed to have been orchestrated due to political tensions within the local Labour group.
Cllr. Billington has called for a full-scale criminal investigation, stating:
“The integrity of elections is fundamental to public trust in democracy. Here, we have an open admission from Denton Labour that they rigged an election. There must be serious consequences, including criminal charges.”
WhatsApp Messages Reveal Alleged Vote Rigging
Cllr. Billington also shared an image of a WhatsApp conversation purportedly showing the moment Labour figures admitted to the fraud. The messages read:
- [13/05/2021, 18:04:17] George: Brenda told
- [13/05/2021, 18:04:28] Andrew Gwynne: And she did
- [13/05/2021, 18:04:38] George: 83 of them.
- [13/05/2021, 18:04:56] Andrew Gwynne: And Leigh Drennan
- [13/05/2021, 18:05:07] George: She took them from him. Fair.
Calls for Criminal Investigation
Cllr. Billington, a Conservative councillor for Stalybridge South and Shadow First Deputy for Finance and Growth at Tameside Council, has confirmed that the issue is being reported to the police.
If proven, this would be one of the most significant election fraud scandals in recent UK history. Labour, which has previously campaigned on promises of electoral integrity, now faces serious questions over whether its own internal divisions led to vote tampering for political gain.
Labour Yet to Respond
At the time of writing, neither Labour nor the accused individuals have issued a formal response to the allegations. However, the growing pressure for an investigation means this scandal is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
With public trust in elections already under scrutiny, these revelations could have serious legal and political ramifications. If the claims are substantiated, Labour may find itself embroiled in a criminal probe with devastating consequences.
The people of Tameside—and the entire country—deserve answers.
