Calls for MP to resign from city council

She has missed all her scheduled meetings since May

Two of Plymouth’s long serving councillors are calling on fellow member and now MP Rebecca Smith to resign from the city council after she failed to attend any of her scheduled meetings since May.

Cllr Smith, who still represents Plymstock Radford on Plymouth City Council despite being elected as the member of parliament for South West Devon in the July 2024 General Election, was scheduled to attend the city council on May 16, June 2 and September 15 of this year but sent apologies. 

Independent councillors Patrick Nicholson and Terri Beer, who both represent Plympton, said Cllr Smith’s only attendance at a city council meeting since the beginning of the municipal year had been for 21 minutes as a substitute member for Cllr Ian Darcy (Con, Plympton St Mary) at the planning committee on June 26. 

The pair will submit a motion to the next full council meeting calling for her to resign.

City councillors are paid £13,700 to undertake their duties, this includes attending city council meetings.

But Cllr Smith reiterated that she will step down in 2026 when all council seats in Plymouth are up for election and will be donating her councillor allowance to charity.

Cllrs Nicholson and Beer said: “Ms Smith currently receives an MP’s salary of £93,904.00 together with an office cost allowance of tens of thousands of pounds to run her office, pay for staff, accommodation costs and travel. 

“In her parliamentary expenses declaration, she confirms that she spends 15 hours per week on council business which is combined with her parliamentary duties.”

Cllr Patrick Nicholson added: “Cllr Smith has the privilege of representing us in parliament and we need her their full time, standing up and holding the government to account for all residents of her constituency.

“She now needs to do the right thing and quit the city council, rather than continuing to be a ghost member who we do not see and continuing to receive allowances from the council.”

Cllr Terri Beer said: “Being a member of parliament is a big enough job in itself and we all know there are numerous issues we need Cllr Smith to raise on our behalf. 

“It just isn’t right for her to continue to be an absent Plymouth councillor.”

Ms Smith said like many newly elected MPs, she also served as a councillor in the constituency she now represented. 

“I plan to serve out my term rather than trigger a costly by-election, which would be likely to cost the council far more than that of my councillor allowance, and will throw everyone into campaigning mode and voters out to vote again. 

She said a Conservative candidate had been selected to stand in her place in the May 2026 elections.

“I have continued to fulfil the formal requirements of the role alongside balancing the casework that comes with it.   As I have repeatedly stated, I will step down in 2026 when all council seats in Plymouth are up for election. I won’t be seeking re-election and will be donating my councillor allowance to charity.”

The Independent councillors said they did not believe that a by-election would be triggered at this stage and therefore no additional costs would be incurred by the city council.