A senior official in the biggest rail workers union has been suspended after making "wholly unacceptable" disparaging comments about Boris Johnson's coronavirus illness.
Steve Hedley, Assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, is believed to have made comments on social media about having a party, in reference to the Prime Minister's condition.
He is a longstanding RMT official and is effectively the union's number two.
A spokesman for the union said: "Following a meeting of the union's National Executive a decision has been made to suspend senior assistant general secretary Steve Hedley with immediate effect while a formal investigation takes place into his conduct."
In a joint statement Michelle Rodger, the RMT President, and Mick Cash, its General Secretary, said: "Steve Hedley's comments do not represent the views of this trade union and are wholly unacceptable."
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