Suspended councillors can’t be kicked out of Kirklees Council by anyone other than the electorate, it has been confirmed.

Councillors Amanda Pinnock and Jean Calvert are facing disciplinary action from the Labour party for allegedly bringing the party into “disrepute”.

They were suspended on Tuesday after refusing to publicly apologise over their well-publicised council tax payment problems.

Both had been summonsed to court after failing to pay more than £1,000 in council tax to their own council.

But both appeared to be unrepentant and attacked the Examiner’s coverage of the issue.

They are now facing a disciplinary panel of the Labour party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

However, it has now been clarified that despite the suspension, both are allowed to continue their work as councillors and are expected to vote with the Labour party until further notice.

They will still receive their basic pay for being a councillor but neither is allowed to seek positions of responsibility that include extra allowances.

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A Labour spokesman would not say when the disciplinary action would take place.

He said the NEC had a number of options, including expelling them from the party, but he confirmed they had no control over whether they remained councillors or not.

He confirmed that even if a political party expels a councillor they remain a member on Kirklees as an independent.

There would only be a by-election if either, both representatives of the Ashbrow ward , resigned.

Clr Pinnock’s term runs until May 2019 while Clr Calvert is not up for re-election until 2018.

Clr Amanda Pinnock (left) and Clr Jean Calvert

The Labour spokesman said both were banned from Labour party meetings other than their own branch until further notice.

Confirmation that both can still vote in the upcoming leadership contest will be a relief to Kirklees Labour group leader, Clr Shabir Pandor .

Kirklees Council is still in limbo without a political leader after Clr Pandor failed to secure enough votes to become Kirklees Council leader at full council on May 25.

A second attempt at voting in a leader is expected to happen at full council on June 29.

Sources have said Clr Pandor is expected to try for a second time with a new deputy leader, following Jean Calvert’s suspension.

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Clr Carole Pattison is currently deputy leader of Kirklees Labour group but rumours are she may not be by the time of the vote as furious “horse trading” continues, to appease disgruntled members.

Clr Pandor lost the vote after four high profile members of his own party missed the meeting, depriving him of the three votes he needed to secure the top job.

Former leader, Clr David Sheard, missed the crunch meeting amid his recovery from a motorbike accident. But it also came shortly after he had been unseated as leader in a coup, thought to have been arranged by Clr Pandor with help from Clr Calvert.

Cabinet members, Clr Graham Turner and Clr Cathy Scott, were also absent, along with Almondbury member, Clr Judith Hughes .

All gave apologies for absence stating that they were ill.

The Examiner was told that all had genuine sick notes.

It is not known how long they will be off sick and whether they will appear at the meeting on June 29.

Without them, Clr Pandor will struggle to get enough votes to become leader, leaving the council in chaos for another month.