THE mayor of Blaenau Gwent says he is considering leaving the Labour party because of its actions following the death of MP Peter Law.

Ebbw Vale North councillor Don Wilcox says he is "completely disgusted" by the speed with which the party has set about finding a parliamentary candidate.

The selection process is due to start on Friday, the day after Mr Law's funeral, but Mr Wilcox and his wife, Moira, say this is too soon.

Long-serving Councillor Wilcox said: "I'm seriously considering my position but I'm not going to make any decisions until after Peter's funeral."

He said it would be a "very sad day" for them if they did decide to leave the party. The couple have been party members for more than 40 years. "Although the government is doing some very good work I think every ordinary man and woman will be outraged at the speed of this selection," he said. "This has made me consider whether I have a future with the Labour party at all."

He added that for the last couple of years he had found he no longer agreed with the party's direction or policies.

"I have had differences with the party nationally over things such as the National Health Service and the Education Bill. For a long time now this has been making things more and more difficult," he said.

Constitutency Labour party secretary Lyndon Moore said members were due to meet the candidates on Friday before whittling them down to a shortlist over the weekend. The final hustings will take place at Ebbw Vale leisure centre on Monday.

"It is not the timetable we would have liked but circumstances are such that it is now truncated," he said.

Mr Moore said his preferred candidate would be one who lived in Blaenau Gwent and worked for its improvement.

Labour had decided to hold an early selection process in Blaenau Gwent, which began last month, but this was suspended when Mr Law died last week.

* Yesterday Mr Law's widow, Trish, again told reporters she was "seriously considering it (standing)" in Blaenau Gwent.

"I know that if I did Peter would be behind me all the way," she said. "I have had quite a lot of people ring me and say, 'why don't you go for it?'" Mrs Law says she will not make a final decision until after Mr Law's funeral tomorrow.