Two Labour Euro-MPs who have had repeated conflicts with the party leadership over plans for welfare reform have been expelled from the Labour and Socialist groups of the European parliament.

The leader of the Socialist Group, Pauline Green, told Ken Coates and Hugh Kerr that their decision to consider joining the Green Party meant that they had effectively excluded themselves from the group.

The two rebels have denied formally joining the Greens, and say they will continue to vote with the Socialists.

However, Ken Coates' local party in North Nottinghamshire is now demanding a by-election.

Mr Coates wrote to his constituents last year, saying he was "heartily ashamed" of Labour's "agenda of cuts in the welfare state, penalties for poor people, and gross maldistribution of wealth throughout society."

West Essex and East Herts Euro-MP Mr Kerr accused Tony Blair of being "a conservative with a small c", determined to lead a national unity government.

They also clashed with their party over the form of proportional representation which will be used to select British Euro-MPs.

The leader of the British Labour faction in the European Parliament, Wayne David, has already written to the two rebels telling them they are ineligible to remain members.

The reduction of the 62-strong British Labour Group to 60 has been confirmed at a meeting of the UK members in Brussels.

Pauline Green: They can no longer be members of the party

Socialist leader Pauline Green insisted that centre-left parties would still be by far the largest collective group in Strasbourg, with 213 members.

The British Euro-MP for London North who is chairman of the multi-nationalist Socialist group said: "It is very sad Ken Coates and Hugh Kerr have expressed dissatisfaction with domestic government policies."

She said she would have to tell the leaders of the national socialist parties that they could no longer remain as members of the party of European Socialists.

Mr Coates and Mr Kerr came close to expulsion last November over a so-called gagging order imposed on the Labour Euro-MPs by the Labour National Executive Committee(NEC) to prevent them discussing planned electoral changes for the next Euro elections.

It is likely that the two will be expelled from the Labour Party when the NEC meets at the end of the month.
 

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