LABOUR'S civil war in Lancashire, it seems, has claimed a major casualty - with long-time party stalwart and Lancashire Enterprises boss Jim Mason reportedly shot down on his way to the House of Lords.

He is apparently a victim of the row raging between Lancashire County Council leaders and East Lancashire's Labour MPs over local government reform.

Mr Mason and county Labour leader Louise Ellman have fought, all through the protracted government-ordered review of councils, for the status quo and the retention of top-tier power at County Hall.

But the party's MPs in East Lancashire have backed a single-tier system of all-purpose authorities in line with Labour's policy nationally on local government structure - though this would have meant the County Council's demise.

The row has been rekindled by the review's latest recommendation that Blackburn and Blackpool should have full independence.

The step is backed by MPs Jack Straw and Janet Anderson, but the rift with the Labour camp at county has widened with legal moves by Lancashire to stop Blackburn's opt-out going ahead.

All part of the cut-and-thrust of democracy, we agree.

But back-stabbing also plays its part in politics.

For Mr Mason is accused of engineering withdrawal of Co-operative movement support for Mr Straw's and Mrs Anderson's re-selections as Labour parliamentary runners.

In turn, Labour leader Tony Blair, we are told, has been asked to scupper Mr Mason's chances of becoming a Labour peer.

Civil war, even at the low-level of regional party politics, is, of course, never pleasant.

In this case, some sympathy might be due to Mr Mason for having apparently suffered so after a lifetime of working for Labour - and all for sticking up for his particular corner of the map; albeit in contradiction to the party's policy nationally.

But, surely, he has also been in the game long enough to know that politics can be a rough business - and most frequently behind the scenes and behind those smiles suggesting everlasting unity - and if you strike out someone is going to hit back.

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