A GROUP of former Labour councillors are planning to stand against their old colleagues in North Lanarkshire, in a move which could help the SNP gain the council.

Around 10 councillors intend to form a new party, provisionally called the Independents Alliance, to stand against official Labour candidates in next May’s local elections.

The group, who were deselected in a clear-out under new council leader Jim Logue, include past Labour veterans Sam Love, Jim Brooks and John Higgins.

Cllr Love, spokesman for the group, said he expected at least 11 councillors to stand.

He said the motivation was a feeling that Labour has lost its way and strayed from its socialist roots, as well as disaffection with Cllr Logue.

He said: “It’s going to happen. We’re all Labour people. We’ll listen to our communities.

"We represent a part of central Scotland where people have low wages, low esteem, kids that can’t reach the attainment they should.

“We’ve had 20 or 30 years of Labour MPs used as voting fodder for middle England, but no more.

"The Labour Party stinks. Tony Blair started it. There are good socialist people out there. We need to talk to our people and prioritise what’s right.”

Cllrs Brooks and Higgins quit Labour earlier this week complaining they had been victims of “bias and ill-will” in the party, saying Labour was now in a “desperate situation”.

A wave of recent resignations has reduced Labour to a minority administration in North Lanarkshire, with 32 of the 70 seats, the SNP on 22, and Independents 16.

The Alliance could split the Labour vote next year, assisting the SNP to become the largest party.

A similar rebellion happened in Glasgow in 2012, after a cull of so-called ‘deadwood’ councillors from Labour benches saw several stand under the Glasgow First banner.

However only one was elected - Stephen Dornan in Govan - and he later joined the SNP.

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “Next May Labour will put forward the strongest possible group of candidates who will stand up for their local communities against cuts from the SNP.”