THE leader of Preston Council has vowed to keep his party in order in the wake of the sixth suspension from the controlling Labour Party in less than a year.

Peter Rankin, who holds power at Preston Council with a three-seat majority, was forced to suspend leading councillor Albert Richardson after he failed to back the Labour party in a vote.

And while Mr Rankin says he has a lot of respect for Mr Richardson, who resigned his post as environmental health committee chairman after he received the two-week suspension, the Labour leader says he had no hesitation in cracking the party whip.

Speaking for the first time since Mr Richardson's suspension, Mr Rankin said: "The Labour Party is like any organisation in that there are rules which must be obeyed.

"Just because we hold a slim majority and have suspended people in the past doesn't mean we will stop now.

"If I start picking and choosing who I suspend chaos will reign. I want to have a party which is ordered and respected. To do that, people must toe the line."

Mr Richardson, who has represented St Matthew's ward for more than 20 years, is on holiday in the Canary Islands. He will return next month.

Five Labour members were suspended last year after failing to back the council on the controversial Broughton by-pass scheme.

Mr Richardson was disciplined after backing rebel councillor Terry Cartwright in a recent vote.

Liberal Democrat leader Bill Chadwick said: "It is unbelievable that the Labour Party can still claim to be a united party after suspending six councillors in a year and working through three leaders in five years.

"In the end, the people of Preston become the losers. We can only wait for next year's elections in the hope that it becomes a hung council."

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