Suspended Aberdeen Labour councillors face expulsion over deal

Labour has still to decide if nine rebel councillors who defied former leader Kezia Dugdale to go into a coalition with the Conservatives should be kicked out of the party.

Former Scottish Labour leader Kez Dugdale suspended nine Aberdeen Labour councillors following reports of a coalition deal with the Tories. Picture: TSPL

Labour’s National Executive Committee has now referred the case against the nine - including council leader Jenny Laing - to its National Constitutional Committee.

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It will consider if they should remain members of the party - though there is no date as yet for that meeting.

The councillors were suspended by Ms Dugdale in May last year after the result of local government elections led them to form a coalition with the Tories to run Aberdeen City Council.

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A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “As recommended by the Scottish Executive Committee, the nine suspended Labour councillors in Aberdeen have been referred by the NEC to the National Constitutional Committee, where their membership of the Labour Party will be considered.”