A SUPPORTER of independent MP Peter Law today calls for an end to "this witch-hunt" amid revelations that twenty Labour activists face being expelled from the party for supporting his election campaign.

Brynmawr town councillor Ian Morgan stood down from the Labour Party along with his town councillor wife Megan to support Mr Law. He says many people in the local Labour Party privately supported the rebel MP.

Mr Morgan, 48, says: "Our name was on Peter's pamphlet, so it seemed silly to stay in the party.

" I can see a situation where the Blaenau Gwent Constituency Labour Party destroys itself if this split continues. They could well lose seats at the county borough council elections.

"Some people may think it is pie in the sky to say that, but it isn't. "I think Peter's win has opened people's eyes to the fact that they do not have to vote Labour.

"There is talk of Labour people who put posters up at their houses being looked at, and what happened to Rex Herbert was disgraceful. "This witch-hunt has to stop.

"I now call on those Labour people who supported Peter privately to stand up for their colleagues who are now being sacrificed."

Grassroots Labour activists, Frank and Jean Heath, from Cwm, are among those waiting for a letter expelling them from the party. Mr Heath, 82, who has been in the party for between 40 and 50 years, says: "The party do seem to be going down the road of recriminations - they are going to lose quite a few people who simply won't renew their membership."

The Welsh Labour party has reported around twenty members to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party who will meet next week to decide on the expulsions.

It is understood they are to be expelled for various reasons including signing Mr Law's nomination form and attending the Blaenau Gwent count at his invitation.

Many of the grassroots of the local Labour Party backed local AM and independent candidate Mr Law when he made a stand against Labour's decision to put forward an all-women shortlist to decide who would succeed former MP Llew Smith. Last night, Mr Smith also dubbed the expulsions a 'witch-hunt'.

Mr Law reversed a Labour majority of 18,000 to defeat Labour's Maggie Jones by more than 9,000 votes.

He accused Labour of using "brute force" against the grassroots who made the party what it is in Blaenau Gwent.

"We know the last vestige of socialism has disappeared under New Labour but what we are seeing here is McCarthyism under Tony Blair," he said.

"People are being made subject to brute force and intimidation and it is a disgrace.

"People are going to say 'We've had enough of Labour' and will stand up for the people being expelled."

And he told the Argus today one of his own children could be facing expulsion from the party.

Mr Law said he did not know who was on the list of around 20 members who are being excluded. But he added: "I have been told my daughter's name is on there and if that's that case I'm very proud of her. Delyth is a good radical and stood up for the people."

Blaenau Gwent Labour Party secretary Steve Osborne told reporters he understood letters of expulsion were being sent from HQ in Cardiff.

The Welsh Labour Party said twenty members were facing expulsion. Letters will be sent out by the ruling National Executive.

Although backing a rival candidate is an expulsion offence under Labour Party rules, one member of the NEC has vowed to oppose the expulsions during their meeting next Tuesday.

NEC member and former editor of the left-wing publication The Tribune, Mark Seddon, said: "I would have thought that now is the time to build bridges after what has happened in Blaenau Gwent.

"The example of Ken Livingstone would suggest that taking a more relaxed approach to this issue would pay dividends. To my knowledge, none of the people who backed Ken Livingstone when he ran as an independent in the London mayoral election, were expelled."

A Welsh Labour spokeswoman said: "Some twenty members in Blaenau Gwent appear to have acted in ways which automatically exclude them from membership of the Labour Party. We have reported this to the NEC.

"We have advised the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) secretary that unless the member concerned disputes the facts (claiming for instance that they never agreed to appear on Peter Law's leaflet as a supporter) they should not be allowed to participate in meetings."