Stagg: Call threatening Childers with expulsion 'not from Labour Party'

Labour Party Chief Whip, Emmett Stagg, has said he did not threaten MEP Nessa Childers with expulsion from the party.

Ms Childers said she was told she could be kicked out of Labour unless she supports Kevin Cardiff's appointment to the European Court of Auditors.

She has been a vocal opponent of the move since the revelation of a €3.6bn account error at the Department of Finance, where Mr Cardiff was Secretary General.

Deputy Stagg said whoever made that threatening phone call to Ms Childers had no authority to do so, no matter how high in the party they may rank.

Mr Stagg said: "I don't know where the phone call came from or who made it, but whoever made it had no authority to make it on behalf of the Labour Party, that's a certainty.

"No matter what level you are at in the party, you have no authorty to do such a thing. I have no doubt what Nessa said was true, she didn't invent any part of this. She might have got a stronger feeling about issues at an earlier stage of this matter than were intended."