Labour MPs have given the thumbs down to staying in a floating palace moored off Brighton during their party conference.

There is also now a question mark as to whether the vessel, MV Shearwater, will appear and be used as off shore accommodation during the conference from September 30 to October 4, to ease the chronic hotel room shortage during the week.

Despite glossy brochures being sent out to more than 400 MPs advertising cabins ranging from £139 to £350 a night, nobody knows of any Labour MP, aide or party worker who has booked to become a floating voter during the conference.

Brighton Kemp Town Labour MP Des Turner said: "I received the brochure and binned it after looking at the prices.

Everything looked far too expensive. I have not heard any of my fellow MPs mention they are staying on board a ship during the conference, nor have I heard any of the aides mention it.

"I know there is a chronic shortage of hotel rooms in Brighton and Hove and the fact someone is thinking of mooring a vessel somewhere off Brighton shows we have to address this problem, if we are to remain a top conference venue."

The vessel has 96 berths available and it is scheduled to be moored somewhere off Brighton during the conference week.

There was speculation it was going to be moored at Brighton Marina or Shoreham Harbour, but the vessel is too big for the Marina and no berth has yet to be reserved at Shoreham.

The plan is for guests to be taken to and from the vessel in taxis if it is moored at Shoreham and if it is anchored off Brighton in deep enough water, transportation would be by small launches.

Guests are being offered a free one day cruise to Dieppe as part of the deal. One of the attractions of the off shore accommodation is the promise of 24 hour drinking and 24 hour gambling.

The vessel usually takes rich American tourists on trips around the Norweigan fjords. It is being hired for the conference by entrepreneur Andrew Chevis, a Labour Party member in Battersea.

He was unavailable for comment yesterday.

The Labour Party said the floating hotel had "nothing officially to do with us".

August 28 2001