Labour relaxes ban on party deals

Tony Blair has relaxed Labour's ban on co-operating with other parties on councils, it was claimed yesterday by Labour MPs and councillors who launched a campaign to promote dialogue with the Liberal Democrats, writes John Rentoul.

At the launch of the Labour Initiative on Co-operation (Linc), Calum Macdonald, the Western Isles MP, called for the rules instructing councillors not to enter into "formal arrangements with any other party" to be abolished. Although they "no longer act as a constraint", they were still "a nuisance".

Lawrence Silverman, Labour leader of Berkshire County Council, governed jointly with the Liberal Democrats, said: "The rules haven't changed but the implementation has been changed. In effect we have been given the green light to go ahead." The launch was timed to influence Labour groups in the 13 councils which ended up after Thursday's elections with no party in a majority.