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Liverpool Council's ruling Labour group appears to be in total disarray after a 'horrendous' group meeting saw councillors slam each other as 'rats' and have to be stopped from fighting.

Mayor Joe Anderson looks to be leading an openly divided and increasingly tempestuous group - with new councillors publicly stating that they will not support his motions at Wednesday's full council meeting and others having to be separated from coming to blows.

The Labour group meeting last night was held to discuss how the group will vote on crucial issues at the crunch full council meeting tomorrow night - but it descended into chaos.

Tensions between the different factions of the group came to the boil when Croxteth Councillor Peter Mitchell offered to 'go outside' with Old Swan Cllr Peter Brennan and had to be held back by other councillors to stop the situation coming to blows.

(Image: Colin Lane / Liverpool Echo)

Cllr Mitchell claims his colleague referred to him as a 'rat' as he was presenting an amendment to the group meeting and admitted he did lose his cool and 'offer him outside.'

He said: "Politics is a very passionate business and sometimes we can take things too far and we have both agreed to put this behind us."

A number of other Labour councillors have contacted the ECHO anonymously to speak about the 'horrible' meeting.

One said: "There is real disquiet in the group - it was a hugely stormy meeting."

Another described 'all hell breaking loose' and said there is anger amongst a number of back bench councillors that the cabinet is making decisions without consulting them.

Those decisions include a move by Mayor Anderson to borrow almost £200m, which will be spent on fixing the city's potholes - announced before May's local elections.

At the group meeting, Cllr Mitchell and recently resigned cabinet member Cllr Steve Munby spoke out against a planned motion welcoming that investment - arguing that the money could be better spent elsewhere and suggesting it could lead the council into a difficult debt situation.

It was after this that tensions boiled over and other councillors had to step in.

Another major issue for the Labour group concerns a motion being brought to Wednesday's meeting by the Liberal Democrats, which seeks to carry out a review of whether the position of Mayor of Liverpool should be removed - and replaced with the leader and cabinet model.

While the Labour group agreed to vote against the motion, there were more heated discussions with some newly elected councillors angrily claiming that they were being railroaded into voting against it and stating that they will not be 'nodding dogs' for the administration.

Perhaps an even bigger sign of mutiny in the Labour ranks is that Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Richard Kemp was being given a 'blow by blow' account of the meeting from some Labour members who were present - more evidence that the group is splitting into different factions and that loyalties may be shifting.

Cllr Kemp told the ECHO today: "Last night for the first time in my membership of the council I was treated to a blow by blow account of a Labour Group meeting from within.

"To say it was a ringside seat was no exaggeration as there were at least two occasions on which Councillors threatened to come to blows with each other.

"We know that the Labour Party is split from stem to stern on three crucial issues. Europe; the spending of £200 million on potholes; and the question of whether or not there should be an elected mayoralty.

"We appeal to Labour councillors to forget their whip system and to vote with their conscience on these issues for the people of Liverpool."

(Image: Copyright Unknown)

The Liberal Democrats are hoping that Labour members will defy the whip and the ECHO understands that this is a possibility for some.

It is likely that Cllrs Munby and Mitchell will find it hard to vote in favour of a Labour motion supporting the pothole investment that they have openly criticised.

It would appear less likely that Labour councillors will actively vote with the Liberal Democrats on the issue of the Mayoralty - but the ECHO understands that a number who would like to see a return to the leader model could leave the room during that crucial vote.

But there remains a strong contingent of councillors who remain loyal to Mayor Anderson - and one insider said: "The Lib Dem motion was overwhelmingly rejected because the vast majority of Labour councillors saw it for the mischief that it is.

"There was a discussion on potholes but there was a feeling of bewilderment around the room when a a not so dynamic duo tried to scupper the mayor's plan.

"If they think the people of Liverpool don't support action on potholes, they're living in cloud cuckoo land."

The ECHO will be bringing you all the action from what could be a hugely significant council meeting for the future of Mayor Anderson's administration and the council as a whole from 5pm tomorrow evening.