A dispute between the Labour leadership and two rebel MEPs over whether or not they had "defected" remained unresolved last night. A stand-off appeared to be developing over whether Mr Ken Coates and Mr Hugh Kerr had effectively expelled themselves from the party, would be forced to quit, or would, in the phrase of a Labour source, "do the honourable thing" and resign.
The party claimed to have been informed that the two had quit the European Parliament's Socialist group and joined the parliament's Green group. That would automatically exclude them from the European Parliamentary Labour Party, and cast a shadow over their Labour Party membership, because the Greens stand in elections against Labour and its sister parties, sources said.
The two MEPs insisted they had not joined the Greens but had been prompted by "draconian" European Parliamentary rules to consider taking up the group's offer of temporary and "honorary membership" until their future status in the Labour Party and Socialist group was clarified.
Mr Coates criticised party leaders for "spinning" a "convenient" line, forcing him to deny claims he had defected. He insisted yesterday he wanted to remain a member of the Socialist group "for ever and ever".
The dispute over his membership and that of Mr Kerr, he said, stemmed from their "difficulty" with Labour's proposed benefit cuts and changes to the selection process of MEPs.
The charge came as Britain began its six-month presidency of the European Union and will be deeply embarrassing to the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, who lays great store by discipline within his party.
Mr Edward Macmillan-Scott, the Tory leader in the European Parliament, called on Mr Blair to cut short a holiday in the Seychelles to sack the MEPs.
The British cabinet minister whose son is at the centre of drug dealing allegations has been named by two Scottish daily newspapers. The Scottish Daily Mail and later editions of the Scotsman have both named the minister involved in the drugs row. The Scottish Daily Mail said its decision to name the minister follows "his own public statement that he wishes the secrecy surrounding his identity to be lifted".
It added that the minister was also named and pictured in a French newspaper, France-Soir, "which is readily available at leading newsagents in London".