SCOTTISH Labour has rejected a fresh bid by rebel councillors in Aberdeen to keep a coalition deal with the Tories.

The party’s nine councillors in the city were suspended last year after forming an administration with the Conservatives without permission.

The group of councillors submitted a revised coalition proposal to Scottish Labour’s governing executive, but the power-sharing plan with the Tories was kicked out yesterday.

The executive has now recommended that the councillors should be referred to the UK party’s National Constitutional Committee to have their membership considered.

Before the 2017 local government elections, Labour ruled that council groups had to get the nod from the executive for any power-sharing agreements.

The Labour group in Aberdeen backed a coalition with the Tories and independents after the election, but the proposal was knocked back.

However, the councillors ignored the wishes of the Scottish party and pushed ahead with the plan, which shut out the SNP from power.

Kezia Dugdale, who was the Scottish Labour leader at that point, said at the time:

"That deal was considered by a sub-group of the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) last night and it was rejected.

"It was rejected because they didn't believe there was enough evidence within the proposals put forward that there would be no compulsory redundancies and there would be no end to austerity."

The nine councillors have been suspended for over a year and talks have failed to resolve a dispute that has left Labour without any local representation in the city.

Key figures in the Aberdeen Labour group are said to be vehemently opposed to any deal with the SNP and are more amenable to working with the Tories.

At an executive meeting in Glasgow yesterday, senior party figures considered a fresh coalition proposal with the Conservatives, which amounted to a beefed up version of the current deal.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and his allies on the left of the party were opposed to the new submission and the proposal was rejected.

It is understood one member of the executive suggested that all Labour members in the North East could be balloted on the issue, but this idea was not supported. The suspensions will be considered separately by a committee of the UK party.

A senior party source said there was “strong” support” in the MSP group for the councillors to be reinstated.

In an email to parliamentarians, Scottish Labour general secretary Brian Roy said: "This is not a situation that any of us wanted, but you will also appreciate that our Party has democratic structures and rules, which we all must adhere to, and it is a matter of great regret that the Councillors chose to break those rules by entering into a coalition that had been rejected by the SEC.

"I appreciate that this will not be a decision that everyone will agree with, but it is a decision that the SEC have been forced to make by the actions of the group."

Cathy Peattie, chair of the Labour’s Scottish executive committee, said: “The Scottish executive committee cannot endorse this deal and, following a year’s suspension, we are now left with no choice but to recommend the referral of the group to the body of the party that will consider their exclusion.

“On behalf of the Scottish Labour Party, I would like to put on record my thanks to the group for their work for the Labour party over many years, and express our regret that they chose to jeopardise their membership of the party by doing an unauthorised deal with another political group and independent councillors."

Councillor Jenny Laing, one of the suspended councillors, said: “I am deeply disappointed by the decision of the Scottish Executive Committee given that I and others have been members of the Labour Party for over 20 years. The nine councillors affected by this decision met today as a group and I can confirm we will remain in Administration with our current coalition partners.

"The SEC has made a recommendation to the National Constitutional Committee and I am calling on the NCC to set aside that recommendation, and to fully support Aberdeen Labour councillors in seeking to deliver for the people of Aberdeen.”