ONE of the "famous five" who discovered Tony Blair 20 years ago has been suspended by his fellow Labour councillors for branding their £1,000 allowance increase "immoral".

Paul Trippett has been banished from the Labour group on Durham County Council for six months, and fears he has been singled out for punishment by "Old Labour" because of his closeness to the Prime Minister.

Coun Trippett, who manages the Labour Club in Trimdon - where Mr Blair celebrates his election triumphs in front of the world's television cameras and where he recently held his 50th birthday party - criticised the 13.8 per cent allowance increase. He promised to give his increase to environmental projects in Trimdon.

Coun Trippett has been suspended by the county council Labour group for speaking out, but no action has been taken against Coundon councillor Phil Graham, who has taken the same stance on the controversial rise.

"I won't back down," pledged Coun Trippett last night. "It was an immoral rise then and it is an immoral rise now.

"There is something going on behind the scenes if two councillors say the same thing and only one is barred out for it.

"I hope it's not because I'm Blairite and people are trying to have a go that way.

"They are Old Labour through and through and I'm a moderniser.

"I believe in communities having a say and these old-timers believe only councillors should have the say."

The £1,000 rise will mean every councillor receives a basic allowance of £8,206.

It follows inflation-busting council tax rises and plans to close schools and old people's homes. In The Northern Echo yesterday, four Liberal Democrat councillors pledged to donate their increases to local projects.

Coun Trippett was present on the night of May 11, 1983, when five members of the Trimdon Labour Party gathered to watch the European Cup Winners' Cup final between Aberdeen and Real Madrid.

The General Election was less than a month away, and the branch was the last in the constituency to nominate someone to stand. Because of boundary changes, Sedgefield was the last constituency in the country to select its candidate.

To Tony Blair, a young barrister from London desperately seeking a seat, the Trimdon branch was his last hope.

But when he called on the five branch members, they told him to sit down, shut up and have a beer while the football finished.

The game went to extra time, and only after the final whistle did the "famous five" turn to grill the would-be MP.

What Mr Blair said galvanised them into action, and Coun Trippett spent the next month driving Mr Blair around the constituency.

First, Mr Blair won the nomination and then his seat in Parliament at the start of a career that has lead to him becoming Prime Minister.

Coun Trippett said he planned to appeal against the suspension. "I find it strange as I have never been charged with anything," he said. "They have never said I have brought the group into disrepute.

"We'll be making an appeal to the Northern region. From what I gather we'll win."

He said his constituents backed his stand and were "absolutely livid" he had been excluded.

Coun Graham said: "I'm aware of the decision that was taken on Paul but I can't really comment. They have meted out a different judgement on Paul to me."

Labour group secretary Albert Nugent said: "It's a group matter. It's entirely up to him what he says but I've got nothing to say."

Coun Trippett said he had not mentioned his predicament to Mr Blair who visited the constituency yesterday. "He has other things on his mind," he said.