Scottish Labour has warned Aberdeen councillors to step down from a Tory-led coalition or face suspension from the party.
Aberdeen City Council announced earlier today that a coalition of Labour, Conservative and Independent councillors had reached an agreement to take control of the local authority.
It comes despite assurances from leader Kezia Dugdale and the party’s Scottish Executive Committee that no deal would be reached with any party that threatened local communities with austerity.
Now party bosses have warned Jenny Laing’s group they could face disciplinary action if they go ahead with the coalition agreement.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “A panel of the Scottish Executive Committee of the Scottish Labour Party, made up of trade union representatives, local party representatives, affiliated groups and the leadership, took the decision on Tuesday evening to reject a proposed power-sharing deal in Aberdeen.
“Labour’s approach has been clear and consistent: we absolutely cannot do any deal with another party if it would result in further austerity being imposed on local communities.
“The Conservatives are a pro-austerity party and the SEC panel did not accept that working families in Aberdeen would be protected from further cuts as the result of the proposed deal with the Tories.
“As a result, any Labour councillor who does not stand down from this multi-party arrangement will be in breach of Labour Party rules and may be suspended from the party.
“Voters across Scotland have a chance to reject further austerity and a divisive second independence referendum by voting Labour on June 8.”
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Kezia Dugdale had shown her “true colours” in the row.
She added: “As soon as the SNP finally comes under pressure, she can’t wait to help them out by propping them up in local government.
“She says she’ll discipline members who even think about working with pro-UK colleagues like the Conservatives, despite Labour and Conservatives having formed the Aberdeen City administration for almost all of her time as leader.
“She really is lost. No wonder Scottish Labour is continuing its death spiral.”
