Slough’s ruling Labour party has been slammed for changing its mind over a voter ID pilot – amid claims it was influenced by the borough’s new MP.

The Conservatives believe it was no coincidence that Labour whipped its councillors into rejecting the national pilot last Thursday, just days after Tan Dhesi MP had expressed his opposition to the move on a radio show.

The Tory motion had originally been been approved unanimously by all councillors in January and the Government had announced Slough would be taking part on September 16.

But the U-turn – not to take part in the trial during next year’s elections – caused shock as the Tories said Labour’s councillors had been pulled into line by their party’s own national position.

Cllr Rayman Bains (Con, Upton) who was sitting on a steering group for the trial, said Labour members had started to express doubts just a day after Mr Dhesi made his views public through a BBC Berkshire interview on September 18. And following the reversal on September 28, Labour issued a joint statement from Mr Dhesi, the council’s leader Cllr Sohail Munawar and the deputy leader Cllr Sabia Hussain, supporting the pull-out. The party has nationally been vocal in its opposition, claiming the trial will reduce the likelihood of minorities and the poor turning out to vote.

Cllr Wayne Strutton, Tory leader, said: “Thursday (September 28) was not supposed to be about the national situation. It was to improve the sordid reputation that this town has.”

Cllr Munawar admitted he and fellow councillors ‘regularly’ communicated with Mr Dhesi but the conversations centred on plans to improve the lives of residents - including the creation of new jobs.

He said: “To say he holds influence over group decisions is misguided, we have a constructive relationship which is focused on meeting our residents needs and creating a town for all.”

He added: “The decision to change our position was based on evidence councillors became aware of which suggested a restrictive pilot would make it harder for legitimate voters to exercise their democratic right while doing very little to stop those determined to con the system.

“I made it clear in council that we view electoral fraud as a serious crime, and we are willing to work with government to tackle this – but we must go where the local evidence takes us. As we know this pilot would not have stopped the ‘Ghost Registration’ fraud carried out by the local Conservative party.”

Cllr Munawar was referring to the case of former Tory, Raja Khan, who was jailed for admitting creating hundreds of false voters in the 2007 election to unseat former mayor, Lydia Simmons.

Whilst not commenting on claims of his influence, Mr Dhesi said: “If Slough has a bad reputation, it is because of the vote-rigging in 2007 by a Conservative candidate and other Tory members/supporters, who were subsequently jailed in 2009. Requiring voter ID at the polls would not in itself have prevented that most serious crime.”