The British Labour Party expelled two rebel MEPs yesterday as it made clear that flouting party rules would not be tolerated.
Mr Ken Coates and Mr Hugh Kerr had fallen out with the party leadership over its planned reform of lone parent and disability benefit, and changes to the way members are elected to the European Parliament.
They also threatened to stand as Independent candidates within the EU's Socialist Group to which all members of the European Parliamentary Labour Party must belong, and courted membership of the rival Green Group in Brussels.
In a war of words which has ended with their expulsion from the Labour party, a senior party spokesman said last night that Mr Coates and Mr Kerr had "automatically excluded" themselves by their recent behaviour.
"We asked Ken Coates and Hugh Kerr to do the honourable thing and resign. They clearly have no intention of doing so . . . It was inevitable that their behaviour would lead to this. What was important was to ensure that they were not allowed to flout the rules. That is why we have acted so quickly," the statement said.
After initial confusion, Mr Kerr was notified at his office in Brussels, Mr Coates and Mr Kerr said Labour would not deny them the opportunity to speak out.
In a joint statement they claimed: "They cannot stop us speaking to the millions of Labour voters who are distressed and angry at the Tory policies which are being pursued by the Blair government in respect of lone parents and their children, the rights of the disabled and the very future of the welfare state."
While Labour sources dismissed as "living in cloud cuckoo land" suggestions that the MEPs might win Independent seats in the Euro elections in 1999, the shadow foreign secretary, Mr Michael Howard, said their expulsion was "embarrassing" for Labour. "This shows yet again Blair's Stalinist style of leadership . . . free speech is only permitted in the Labour party if you agree with the leader," he said.
Reuter adds: Mr Donald Dewar, the Scottish Secretary, said yesterday he planned to quit British politics to stand for election to the new Scottish Parliament. The move provoked speculation that he would become First Minister of the new body.