BLAENAU GWENT independent MP Peter Law said he might consider rejoining the Labour Party if it grants an amnesty for party members who supported his stand.

And Mr Law said his former party would also need to "show respect" to the electorate of Blaenau Gwent and issue an apology before he would consider sitting down with party chiefs.

At the same time, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has not ruled out the possibility of the Labour Party accepting Mr Law back into the fold but added the party would not be "blackmailed".

Mr Law's remarks came after veteran Blaenau Gwent politician Rex Herbert - a member of the party for 56 years - was expelled for supporting him.

"At the moment it's a sensitive situation and I think it's going to take some time to settle because there are so many people who have been involved and so many who are so offended about the way the Labour Party has acted," said Mr Law.

"One of the things they need to make clear is that they are not going to use the policy of an all-woman shortlist again and they should look at making a statement of apology to the people of Blaenau Gwent.

"They need to show that they respect the people here."

Mr Law said such developments were "hypothetical", and could only come from "months and months"of talks.

But he added: "If they were prepared to show that respect, to be fair I would then have to sit down and consider the situation."

Mr Law left Labour when he stood in protest against the party's policy of all-women candidates' shortlists.

The party said he had automatically expelled himself when he stood as an independent. He won by 9,121 votes.

The 57-year-old told the Argus the Labour Party needed to admit it had made a mistake

"Having been to Westminster I am aware of a couple of ministers who have been saying, 'we got it wrong in Blaenau Gwent'."

Mr Law said his campaign supporters were good people who had been subject to "star chamber tactics" by Labour for backing him.

He called Mr Herbert's expulsion "utterly disgraceful".

"I would not myself consider going back in without those people being given an amnesty," he said.

Mr Hain said there was no witchhunt against Mr Law or a vendetta against his supporters. He said the party would have to look at how Mr Law, who holds Labour's majority in the Assembly in his hands, behaved.

Mr Hain said: "You can't offer instant concessions but I'm not saying either that the door is being shut to Peter Law coming back into Welsh Labour, or any of those who supported him.

"But nobody is going to be blackmailed over this."