A MAJOR row has erupted among Basingstoke council after accusations of racism were levelled at councillors by a Conservative rival at the centre of a chairmanship wrangle.

Cllr Dan Putty has blasted Liberal-Democrat and Labour councillors in the wake of events following the voting fiasco that saw him elected to head the licensing committee.

As exclusively revealed by The Gazette, Conservative Cllr Putty was voted in as chairman after Labour's Lea Jeff raised her hand at the wrong time, instead of voting for sitting Lib-Dem chairman Alan Read.

But, after council leader Brian Gurden asked the Tories to make the new chairman stand down, Cllr Putty claimed: "I believe this is a definite race issue. I have suspected for some time there are racist undercurrents in the Lib-Dem and Labour camps. That is why I resigned from the development control committee.

"I am treated appallingly at times. I have been elected chairman fairly and squarely and that should be that. I am considering taking it to the Council for Racial Equality."

Tory group leader Cllr John Leek has fanned the flames by accusing Liberal-Democrat Cllr Gurden of using "Mafia-like" tactics.

He told The Gazette: "After the licensing committee chairmanship election, Cllr Gurden demanded that Cllr Putty immediately resign or the Tories would not be allowed to chair the powerful scrutiny committee.

"But I was not prepared to buckle to such intimidation or accept such Mafia-like behaviour.

"To show that the Liberal-Democrats are indeed the very nasty party, they refused the vice-chairmanship of the economic overview committee to a Tory councillor."

Referring to the claim of racism, a shocked Cllr Gurden said: "It's a deplorable accusation, totally in keeping with the way the Conservative opposition is behaving these days.

"I am really disappointed that someone like Cllr Dan Putty, who is a magistrate, is making such an unsubstantiated accusation.

"In all the years I have been on the council, I have never detected the slightest evidence to suggest that attitudes were swayed by anything other than the capacity of the individual, and his or her personality, and the contribution made to the running of the council.

"If he has any evidence to support his allegation, I would like him to bring it to me. If he feels he is the victim of racism, I demand he takes it to the Council for Racial Equality."

Responding to Cllr Leek's comments, Cllr Gurden said he had rung the Conservative leader, congratulating him on the "wheeze" that had gained the Tories the chairmanship of the licensing committee but inviting them, now they had achieved their end, to resign and allow the original chairman to be reinstated.

Cllr Gurden said: "When Cllr Leek got huffy, I pointed out that if they did not play the game, the joint administration might take a dim view of it and look into ways they might change the scrutiny committee chairmanship. It was not a threat.

"When, on the separation of the scrutiny and overview committees, it was suggested that scrutiny be chaired by a member of the joint administration, I was the one who said it should be a Conservative.

"It is a pity that Cllr Leek regarded what I said as blackmail and behaving like the Mafia."

Labour group leader Cllr Chriss Connor said: "At no time would I tolerate any of my group having any overt or covert racist tendencies. We treat individuals on their merit, on what they achieve and what they do.

"I have known Dan Putty for years and there are times when he makes comments which we find bordering on silly. But that is nothing to do with his race, it is simply the thoughts he expresses.

"If he has any evidence, he should take it to the highest place. The standards committee is there for that purpose and can debar a councillor immediately."