Ex-Labour MP gets coveted Parliamentary pass despite ongoing sleaze probe - and getting '£1m payoff' because he was 'too ill to work'

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 14:40, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 14:41, 16 April 2026 A former Labour MP enjoys privileged access to Parliament despite him still being subject to a sleaze probe after quitting the House of Commons earlier this year. Andrew Gwynne, who resigned as MP for Gorton and Denton in January, is among nearly 500 former MPs to hold a coveted security pass for the parliamentary estate. Ex-MPs who sat in the Commons for at least six years are eligible for passes that give them continued access to Parliament - although the authorities can refuse in some circumstances. Questions will be raised about why Mr Gwynne has been handed a pass while he is still being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The watchdog began a probe into whether Mr Gwynne's actions caused 'significant damage to the reputation of the House' in February last year. It came after Mr Gwynne said he regretted making 'badly misjudged' comments in a WhatsApp group, amid a row that saw him sacked as a health minister and suspended by Labour. The messages in a group chat - named 'Trigger Me Timbers' - with Labour figures based around Manchester reportedly included sexist, racist and anti-Semitic remarks. Mr Gwynne went on to quit the Commons less than a year later on health grounds, with his departure from Parliament said to have come after he tied up an exit package worth around £1million. Andrew Gwynne, who resigned as MP for Gorton and Denton in January, is among nearly 500 former MPs to hold a coveted security pass for the parliamentary estate  Questions will be raised about why Mr Gwynne has been handed a pass while he is still being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards At the time, Commons sources suggested the deal would see Mr Gwynne - who is only 51 - paid up until pension age, at which point he would receive a full Parliamentary pension. When he quit frontline politics earlier this year, Mr Gwynne said he had 'suffered significant ill-health over most of the 21 years I've served as an MP'. He added this had been 'greatly exacerbated by the impact of last year's events' and shared a note from his GP to the Commons authorities that stated he could not 'safely to return to work as an MP'. Former MPs granted security passes are able to roam the parliamentary estate unescorted, have meetings and use the subsidised bars and restaurants within certain hours. The privileged parliamentary passes are controversial due to concerns about the potential for lobbying of former colleagues, even though this is barred under Commons rules. The number of former member passes handed out by Commons authorities has rocketed in recent years, and most notably after the 2024 general election, despite efforts to tighten eligibility. There are currently 468 former MPs who have a parliamentary security pass, compared to just 306 former MPs who held passes in Janaury 2023. In February 2023, former Labour MP Chris Williamson had his parliamentary pass suspended after concerns were raised about his work for Iranian state TV. As revealed by the Mail, the House of Commons' Administration Committee reconsidered Mr Williamson's access rights due to his role as a host on PressTV. The former shadow minister, a staunch ally of ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was MP for Derby North between 2017 and 2019. Following Mr Gwynne's resignation from the Commons, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham attempted to stand as Labour's candidate in a by-election to replace him as Gorton and Denton MP. But Mr Burnham was blocked from doing so by allies of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the Green Party going on to win the parliamentary contest in February. Allies of Mr Burnham previously denied he had reached a 'pact' with a sitting MP to stand down to allow him to return to Westminster, from where he could mount a leadership challenge against Sir Keir.  The office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards confirmed Mr Gwynne remains under investigation despite his departure from the Commons. A  Commons spokesperson said: 'As with all pass applications, eligibility is rigorously scrutinised and processes are in place to ensure applications can only be made by those with an approved requirement.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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