Kezia Dugdale has denied that councillors who defied her in Scotland’s third largest city undermined her position as Scottish Labour leader.
It came as party bosses barred a second council group from doing a deal with the Tories after a “civil war” erupted between chiefs and local authority representatives.
Ms Dugdale suspended nine councillors in Aberdeen after they defied the wishes of the ruling Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) and went into administration with Conservatives in the city.
Asked if they had undermined her and her position, she said: “No because I have been very clear that they don’t act as Labour councillors when they are passing on Tory cuts in Aberdeen.
“The pact that they put forward did not pass the deal that the SEC set. That’s why they have been suspended.”
It came just hours after Alex Rowley, the party’s deputy leader, said the SEC had also rejected a possible coalition with the Tories in West Lothian.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme the Labour group on the council there “have put forward proposals that have been refused by the Scottish Executive Committee, so there will be no deal with the Tories in West Lothian”.
Mr Rowley said Labour had been clear “no power-sharing arrangements would be agreed where it would mean increased austerity that will impact on communities, in particular the poorest communities up and down Scotland”.
He said the nine suspended councillors in Aberdeen “broke those rules”.
Barney Crockett, one of the suspended councillors who was appointed Lord Provost as part of the agreement, told the same programme the action was “a procedure” they would work through.
He said: “We’ll work through it and I’m confident that we will be back in Labour very soon.
“We’re still Labour councillors through and through, and I’m sure everything is going to be rectified and will be in good order.”
Ms Dugdale refused to confirm reports that Mr Rowley had the casting vote to reject the Aberdeen deal during a visit to Edinburgh’s Serenity Cafe.
She said: “All I can tell you is Alex chairs these meetings.”
The party leader added: “The reason that we are in this position, that Labour is at the centre of all these power sharing talks, is because both the SNP and the Tories ruled out dealing with each other two weeks ago in a complete petty political manoeuvre.
“The reality of that is it is only the Labour Party taking a responsible approach, rooted in our values and principles which are to oppose any deals which involve passing on austerity to councils and would lead to job losses.
“Now I think that is a responsible thing to do. It is the Tories and the SNP that have ruled out even talking to each other…driven entirely by their obsession with the constitution.”
Ross Thomson, the Tory candidate for Aberdeen South in the General Election, said: “Labour has been plunged into civil war after Kezia Dugdale’s reckless decision to suspend all nine councillors in Aberdeen.
“The local group were doing the right thing for the city to provide stability after what has been a difficult time for the local economy.”
The SNP had become the largest party on Aberdeen City Council following the May 4 local elections, which saw Nicola Sturgeon’s party return 19 representatives.
However, the deal between the rebel Labour councillors, the Conservatives and three independents locks the nationalists out of power.
The set-up in Aberdeen follows on from a Labour/Tory/independents coalition that governed the city between 2012 and 2017.
