Two of the five Respect councillors in Bradford were yesterday suspended from the party pending a disciplinary hearing.

Respect national secretary Ron McKay confirmed Coun Ishtiaq Ahmed, who represents the Manningham ward, and Coun Mohammad Shabbir, who represents Heaton, would be suspended with immediate effect.

He said it would be “unfair” to comment publicly on the reasons for their suspension, but added there would be a wider party investigation into what he described as “attempts to subvert the party in Bradford”.

When contacted by the Telegraph & Argus last night, Coun Shabbir said he did not want to comment but may release a statement in the coming days.

Coun Ahmed was not available for comment.

Both councillors were elected to Bradford Council in May 2012, shortly after Respect MP George Galloway’s landslide Bradford West by-election win in March.

Coun Shabbir took his seat from the Conservatives, while Coun Ahmed trounced the sitting Labour candidate by 3,265 to 2,126.

Last Saturday, the Telegraph & Argus reported how Mr Galloway revealed he is seriously considering standing to become Mayor of London and might not fight to retain his Bradford West seat in the 2015 General Election. The Respect MP said he has formed a committee of his party members and “political number crunchers” looking at whether or not he should mount a bid to become Mayor of London in 2016.

He said that the possibility was being explored now that Boris Johnson is widely expected to step down in 2016, and former Mayor Ken Livingstone has retired.

Yesterday, both Coun Ahmed and Coun Shabbir tweeted a link to a national newspaper article where they had given their views about the prospect of Mr Galloway for Mayor of London.

Coun Ahmed was quoted as saying it was a “slap in the face” for the people of Bradford, while Coun Shabbir said he was “not ruling out” leaving Respect.