A PUSH by Labour party chiefs to increase the number of women county councillors in Kent is threatening to split the party.

Three sitting councillors have already been told they are unlikely to be able to stand for the seats they currently represent in next year’s election. Several more could also be ousted.

Labour wants to double the number of women councillors at next year’s election and is preparing to adopt all-women shortlists in several key wards.

Local party chiefs agreed the policy after successful trials elsewhere in the country pushed up the number of women councillors.

But the move has created a backlash in some constituency associations who say it could force established and experienced councillors to stand aside.

Two Labour councillors in Dover are at risk. They are Bill Newman, who represents Dover Central and Keith Sansum, who represents Dover South and is also a district councillor. Both were elected in 1995.

Cllr Newman said he was aware the policy was creating division. He stressed: “I do not think the constituency party has accepted this.

"As things are, I am standing and have been nominated but I do know the county party has been discussing this. My own view is that you select the best person for the job and if we get turfed out, then fair enough,” he added.

Cllr Sansum refused to talk about the matter except to confirm the party had adopted the policy.

Nick Turner, secretary of the Kent Labour Party, said: “I can confirm we have a policy we believe will be very successful. We have identified those seats that are target seats and in those, we will be imposing all-women shortlists. In some cases where there are two-member wards, we will have one woman and one male candidate. We are looking to double the number of women at the next election and then get to 50 per cent.”

He added: “Obviously, the policy may cause some dissent and it may be that some councillors will fall by the wayside.”

He confirmed the two Dover councillors had objected. “They have made representations and we will look at those,” he said.

Labour has 22 councillors representing KCC, of which four are women. Of the 52 Conservatives, five are women while the Liberal Democrats have three in a ten-strong group.