SCOTTISH Labour is to investigate claims its West Lothian council group only secured power on the local authority after striking a deal with the Tories.
Kezia Dugdale’s party, which has already suspended councillors in Aberdeen over a coalition with the Conservatives, made the move after criticism from local activists.
An SNP spokesperson said: ''Labour just can't help themselves. They can't break their habit of keeping Tories in power in councils enabling cuts in services and endless austerity - ignoring their hapless Scottish leader's wishes.''
Scottish Labour’s general election campaign was nearly derailed over a series of spats about town hall deals with the Tories.
Party rules require that any council group seeking a power-sharing deal would have to get approval by a sub-committee of Scottish Labour Executive (SEC).
The committee rejected a Labour-Tory coalition in Aberdeen, but councillors pushed ahead and were immediately suspended.
In West Lothian, SEC figures twice rejected power sharing proposals with the Tories, which eventually led to Labour councillors forming a minority administration.
However, critics believed this arrangement was effectively an informal deal as Conservative councillors got senior positions on the local authority.
At a meeting of the Labour Executive earlier this month, a motion on the row was tabled by the local Almond Valley branch.
This newspaper understands the motion claimed the set up amounted to a power-sharing "deal" and called for an investigation into the West Lothian group.
The Revitalise Scottish Labour blog, which is written by left-wing members of the Executive, provided an account of the meeting:“A motion was received from one CLP (Constituency Labour Party) questioning if their Labour group had broken the rules. This will be investigated and report brought to the next meeting.”
It added: “The panel appointed to consider power sharing arrangements reported to the SEC. Ten requests had been received from Labour groups. Several had been sent back for further consideration and three rejected. Aberdeen councillors had been suspended and a formal disciplinary investigation would be initiated.”
However, concern is not confined to Tory council deals. Senior party figures have reservations about Labour forming a minority coalition with the SNP in Edinburgh.
Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, the leader of the Labour group on the West Lothian council, said: “We are a minority Labour administration with no power sharing arrangements. I am unaware of anything the SEC have agreed or not agreed. They have not contacted me.”
Asked why he believed some people were critical of the arrangement, he said: “We live in a democracy and democracy is so important. We take it for granted sometimes, just like the air that we breathe. Everybody is entitled to their view.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart said: "This truly reveals that the Labour Party is in complete and utter disarray due to Kezia Dugdale's incoherent style of leadership.
"One thing this shambolic situation has clarified is that it's only the Scottish Conservative that are capable of standing up to the SNP."
A spokesperson for Scottish Labour said: "The Labour Party does not comment on internal discussions."
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