Fury as Conservative politicians accused of 'sexism and racism' over WhatsApp messages

Conservative leader Kemi Bandenoch has been urged to take action after a Tory councillor made a comment about the wife of a politician from a rival party. WhatsApp messages seen by the Express show the councillor referring to the wife of Reform UK candidate Andrew McCallum, who is standing for election to Nottinghamshire County Council, as "his TicTok bride".

Mr McCallum's wife is of east Asian heritage and the comment could be a reference to Chinese-owned social media service TikTok. A Reform spokesman said: "This sexism and racism is unacceptable. The Conservative Party must take action very quickly."

The WhatsApp group is called Bassetlaw Conservatives OFFICIAL. Screenshots show David Bamford, Conservative leader of Bassetlaw District Council, discussing Mr McCallum with Mike Introna, a Conservative member of Nottinghamshire County Council.

Mr Bamford says: "His wife followed my Cllr page tonight ... blocked her."

Mr Introna responds: "She reported a empty bin on FB. FFS. His TicTok bride."

Members of the group include Sam Smith, Conservative leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, who did not take part in the conversation.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "The Conservative Party has an established code of conduct and formal processes where complaints can be made in confidence. This process is rightly confidential."

In February, Labour suspended 11 councillors in Greater Manchester and two MPs as part of an investigation into a WhatsApp group where offensive messages were shared.

The MPs included Andrew Gwynne, who told a group called Trigger Me Timbers that he hoped a 72-year-old woman would soon be dead, and Oliver Ryan, who posted messages before becoming an MP that appeared to mock another Labour politician for his sexuality.