Plans for a referendum on having a directly-elected mayor have been delayed by the city's ruling Labour group.

At a meeting last night it unanimously accepted a proposal by councillor Ken Bodfish that there should be a postponement in a bid to achieve unity and make the position clear.

Coun Bodfish said today: "I hope this will bring unity, not only to the Labour group, but also to the city."

Earlier he had given his reasons for the delay in a letter to colleagues.

This followed the defeat two weeks ago of plans by the Labour group to hold the referendum on May 3. Four Labour councillors voted with the opposition Coun Bodfish said in his letter: "We must not give comfort to our enemies by attacking each other rather than those who would destroy Labour."

In the letter Coun Bodfish said putting back the referendum date to October would bring Brighton and Hove in line with many other Labour councils such as Birmingham and Leeds. If the electorate agreed, the mayoral contest could be held in May 2002.