WARRINGTON Labour insists it is ‘proud of our country’ after controversial messages were leaked.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the leaked messages from the Labour WhatsApp group were posted in response to a debate about flying the Union flag.

Former Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid – who is standing as a candidate in the all-out elections in May – started the conversation by posting a screenshot from ITV’s Good Morning Britain, which was asking: “Should Union flags fly every day? Are flags a sign of unity and patriotism or do they divide us?”

Mr Rashid asked those in the group: “What is your view?”

Among the messages that were posted in the group, Robin Frith, an election candidate and secretary of Warrington North Constituency Labour Party, commented that it was ‘another move from the Fascist playbook’.

Cllr Paul Warburton said: “Next step: teaching the national anthem in schools and the singing of it each morning at the raising of the flag..”

To which Cllr Rebecca Knowles, cabinet member for statutory health and adult social care, replied: “It’s chilling. There’s nothing at all wrong about being proud of your nationality but this all feels pretty creepy and I must say as the mum of a biracial family it makes me feel very nervous indeed.”

Warrington South Tory MP Andy Carter has shared his views on the report from the Daily Mail.

In a post on Facebook, he said: “I’m quite shocked that this news story is actually about Labour in Warrington!

“Seeing our local councillors and cabinet members suggest that teaching young people the national anthem as ‘chilling’ or that flying the Union flag is in some way out of the ‘fascist playbook’ gives me real concern.

“There’s nothing wrong with having pride in your country. Labour in Warrington have simply lost touch with the views of the vast majority of people in Warrington and across the UK.”

But Warrington Labour has issued a statement in response.

A spokesman said: “Warrington Labour is proud of our country and our priorities are the priorities of the British people.

“The choice at these elections is between Labour offering hope of a better, more secure future, or the Conservatives who just want to take us back to business as usual.”