LONDON - A British junior minister was sacked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday and suspended from the governing Labour Party over WhatsApp messages which the minister said were "badly misjudged".

Andrew Gwynne, who was a health minister, apologized on social media platform X following a report by the Mail on Sunday that he had sent WhatsApp messages insulting constituents and other members of parliament.

"I deeply regret my badly misjudged comments and apologize for any offense I’ve caused," he said. "I entirely understand the decisions the PM (prime minister) and the party have taken and, while very sad to have been suspended, will support them in any way I can."

A government spokesperson said Starmer was determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office.

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"He will not hesitate to take action against any minister who fails to meet these standards, as he has in this case," the spokesperson said.

Labour won a large majority in an election last July but opinion polls show its popularity has fallen since then, with the party struggling after early missteps over donations and to boost economic growth.

Tulip Siddiq resigned as minister responsible for financial services and fighting corruption last month after questions over her financial ties to Sheikh Hasina, ousted last year as prime minister of Bangladesh. Siddiq denies wrongdoing.

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Louise Haigh stepped down as transport minister in November after she acknowledged a minor criminal offense before she entered government, relating to a mobile phone that she had wrongly reported stolen.