A DECISION to drop Brighton and Hove City Council's former leader as an election candidate after 40 years' service has left bitter divisions in his own party.

Senior councillors accused colleagues of damaging the city's Labour Party by treating Ken Bodfish "badly" by dropping him as a candidate for next year's local elections.

Mr Bodfish, who has been a labour councillor since 1984 and was council leader for six years, was blocked from standing for re-election to the city council's Queen's Park ward on Wednesday.

His spot on the ballot paper for next May's elections will now be taken by David Harvey, outgoing chairman of Brighton's gay Pride festival, who polled the majority of votes.

Some of Coun Bodfish's Labour colleagues remained tight-lipped about the decision yesterday while one senior party member said he had got what he deserved.

However, some accused colleagues of hatching a shadowy plot to unseat the controversial former leader.

Labour councillor Don Turner, the chairman of the council's housing committee, said: "It was an appalling decision to reject Ken.

"He has done an enormous amount for the city and the fact his local party can't recognise that is extremely disappointing."

Simon Burgess, deputy chairman of the policy and resources committee and a Queen's Park ward Labour councillor, said: "Labour's candidate selection gives local members their say in a secret ballot - that's democracy, but it can also be harsh.

"Ken's a big figure in politics and has been selected many times over the years - I'm very sorry it ended like this for him."

Coun Turner said it was "ridiculous" of the local party to opt for a new candidate in such an important ward for Labour.

Delia Forester, who was reselected to contest the three-seat ward of Queen's Park along with new council leader Simon Burgess, said: "He's been badly treated.

"Ken has given brilliant service for the 47 years he has been in the party. He has outside experience of national and international Government which has been of enormous value to Brighton and Hove.

"We have done ourselves a lot of damage by it."

Labour chief whip Brian Fitch said: "It's sad how the party has treated him when you consider what he's done for the city. It's not the way to treat someone who has made such a valuable contribution."

Labour Party member John Hodgson, a leading member of community action group Peacehaven Residents Opposed to Urban Development, said: "I can't understand what brought these members to hand out such wretched treatment to a loyal servant of the Labour Party.

"I've known Ken Bodfish since 1959 and have watched him tirelessly serve the party at all levels up to and including a parliamentary candidate.

"I cannot possibly see how his decision to stand down as leader of the city council in any way reflects on his dedicated work as a ward councillor for the Queen's Park ward.

"And I can't believe Brighton's Labour Party is overflowing with such talent that it can afford to dispense with the services of such a talented member.

"This smacks of the kind of politics that nearly brought the Labour Party to the edge of self destruction in the Eighties."

But a senior party member, who refused to be named, said Coun Bodfish had brought his demise on himself by his style of leadership.

He said it seemed "extraordinary" that someone who had been a councillor for so long could not muster enough votes.

He said: "Why didn't he pick up the phone?

"He assumed he would get reselected without doing anything."

Coun Bodfish was unavailable for comment yesterday.