BURNLEY Labour Party has been stripped of its power to select council election candidates - in a bid by regional party bosses to stamp out factionalism and in-fighting in the troubled group.

The sensational move has angered some local party members who have demanded a clear-the-air meeting with regional chiefs.

It means that regional officials, not the local party, will interview and select would-be candidates and sitting councillors seeking re-selection for inclusion on the panel of hopefuls from which ward parties will make their candidate selections.

A regional party spokesman said an independent panel of party members from outside Burnley would draw up the candidates panel in future.

The move, says Burnley party chairman Maureen Martin, has left some members "hurt and upset".

A party meeting called for its officers to express their concerns to regional chiefs at a meeting planned for next week, she added.

The move follows internal turmoil in the local party in the wake of the housing allocations row which led to suspension of Labour councillors and defections to Independent of three council members this year.

The party was also left embarrassed when the candidate selected to oppose defector, Eddie Fisk in Lowerhouse ward, announced he was Coun Fisk's nephew and promptly pulled out of the election, urging people not to vote Labour.

There were also losses for Labour at May's municipal elections followed by the toppling of council group leader Kath Reade by fellow councillors.

The regional party spokeswoman said the events had left a bitter taste in some people's mouths and there was a need to re-assure the public to have faith an confidence in the local Labour Party. She added that there was no intention to "chuck anyone out" of the party, and councillors who were doing their jobs well had no reason to fear.

The move would be mirrored in other areas as part of Labour's Project 99 initiative to improve standards, but Burnley had come early in the process because of the window of opportunity presented by the local situation.

She said the aim was to increase accountability and improve the standard of membership on councils.

"We are not looking for scapegoats in Burnley, but we do not want factionalism," the spokeswoman added.

"There needs to be public confidence in the party.

"We are certainly not picking on Burnley," she added.

Mrs Martin said the aim was also to ensure candidates were independent and not fictionalised.

She said: "Not everyone is happy about it, some are hurt and upset and feel slighted.

"They have voiced their concerns, which will be passed on to region."

She added that once the new panel had drawn up its list, final selection of candidates would still remain with the local ward parties.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.