National Labour withdraw their support for the six Birmingham Labour Councillors accused of electoral fraud

3.00.00pm GMT Mon 14th Feb 2005

The Labour party have today announced they are withdrawing their support and the Labour Party solicitors in the Birmingham ballot rigging cases. The two cases relate to the Aston and Bordesley Green Council elections of last June. The move by Labour is seen by many as an admission of guilt.

The Labour Party said that the behaviour of some Labour activists and supporters of other parties in the two wards may have "fallen short of the high standards that the electors have the right to expect".

This is the latest in a long-line of Labour's problems in Birmingham streaking back to May 2003 when they lost overall control of the Council, followed in June 2004 when they actually stopped running the Council (they had been propped up by the Conservatives for a year). July 2004 almost saw Labour lose one of its safest seats to Nicola Davies and the Liberal Democrats - holding on by just 460 votes, the campaign they fought was considered by many, including me as being racist. Now it appears that six Councillors will lose their seats due to electoral fraud.

Could it get any worse for Labour in Birmingham - of course it can, and will, there is a General Election due in a couple of months time!