The Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) has rejected Aberdeen Labour’s power sharing proposal.

The party’s nine councillors were suspended in 2017, after forming an administration with the Conservatives without getting formal permission from Scottish Labour’s governing executive.

Aberdeen Labour submitted a revised coalition proposal but the power-sharing plan was dismissed yesterday.

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

That body will make the final decision to the future of the councillors within the wider Labour party.

Cathy Peattie, chair of the Scottish Executive Committee, said: “We 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 toe 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.”

Aberdeen Labour group leader Jenny Laing was “deeply disappointed” at the SEC’s decision.

She said: “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 them to set aside that recommendation, and to fully support Aberdeen Labour councillors in seeking to deliver for the people of Aberdeen.”