Dozens of MPs still working as councillors, despite calls to step down
By ITV News Political Correspondent Harry Horton and Senior Politics Producer Maya Bowles
Dozens of MPs have stayed in their roles as councillors since the general election, despite calls for many to resign from their local government roles.
There are currently 26 MPs who also serve on local councils, including 12 Liberal Democrats, nine Labour MPs, four Conservatives and one Independent.
ITV News revealed earlier this year that almost 10% of all MPs were still working as councillors after July's general election, but since our report around 36 have resigned from their local government posts.
The 26 MPs still balancing the two jobs insist they're able to do both, despite many facing fierce local opposition and calls to step down.
Analysis of local council attendance data also shows that the majority of the MPs still doing both jobs are showing up to less than 50% of council meetings since getting elected to Parliament.
ITV News analysis found that 14 of the 26 MPs have an attendance rate of 50% or less, with some going to as few as 13% of meetings.
The three MPs with the lowest council attendance records are all Labour - Gedling MP Michael Payne has attended 13% of Gedling Borough Council meetings since July, while the Isle of Wight West's Richard Quigley has been to 17% of meetings for the Isle of Wight Council and Telford's Shaun Davies has an attendance record of 25% for Telford and Wrekin Council meetings.
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Labour previously promised to ban all second jobs but has rowed back on that pledge, instead focusing on closing loopholes that allowed politicians to do paid advisory work or consultancy.
But on councillor jobs, the Labour rulebook specifically states that when Labour MPs are elected to parliament they have to give up their local council seats “on a date agreed with the Commons Chief Whip and General Secretary".
Labour says all of their nine MPs also working as councillors had agreed a date to stand down "dependent on local circumstances". However, at least one Labour MP has told ITV News that no such date has been agreed.
None of the 26 MPs serve on councils holding local elections this May. They argue that standing down would trigger by-elections, which could be costly for the taxpayer.
By-elections cost extra money for already cash-strapped councils and also mean voter turnout is likely to be a lot lower. But some serve in wards where other local elections are taking place in May - meaning the potential extra cost would be lower.
While all of the nine Labour MPs also working as councillors have given up their £12,000 a year councillor allowance, 14 of 26 MPs are still receiving some kind of payment on top of their £94,000 a year MP salary.
According to Parliament's Register of Members' Financial Interests, some MPs who have extra responsibilities within their council are receiving as much as £15,000 a year.
Two Liberal Democrat MPs are also sitting on more than one council and getting paid for both. Will Forster sits on both Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council, while James MacCleary represents areas in East Sussex Council Council and Lewes District Council.
'It's a balancing act': Streeting on MPs doing both jobs
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who served as a councillor himself alongside being an MP when he was first elected, said it can be a good thing to do both jobs.
"This is a bit of a tricky one... I did both jobs effectively, I didn't claim a councillor's allowance," he told ITV News.
"To be honest, a lot of my constituency casework now as an MP, and as a Cabinet minister is still about local council services.
"There's such an overlap between the two roles, and you always have to weigh up the pros and cons of causing a by-election with the cost and disruption that involves, or seeing out your term but accepting you might not be able to make all of your committees.
"What I wouldn't want to see is a situation where councillors felt, because they're already elected, that they couldn't also get elected to Parliament. Because I think it's a good thing that we have people in parliament that have local government experience."
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "Liberal Democrat MPs are committed to delivering for their constituents day in day out. Those who are councillors will take individual decisions on whether to continue depending on their local circumstances.
"Often, the work of being both an MP and a local councillor go hand in hand, enabling a better understanding of the local issues that really matter.”
ITV News has approached all 26 MPs for comment.
Is your MP still working as a councillor? Here's the full list:
Alison Bennett, Lib Dem MP for Mid Sussex - councillor on Mid Sussex District Council
Charlotte Cane, Lib Dem MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire - councilor on East Cambridge District Council
Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester - councillor on Colchester City Council
Steve Darling, Lib Dem MP for Torbay - councillor on Torbay Council
Shaun Davies, Labour MP for Telford - councillor on Telford and Wrekin Council
Bobby Dean, Lib Dem MP for Carshalton and Wallington - councillor on Sutton Council
Will Forster, Lib Dem MP for Working - councillor on Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council
Ayoub Khan, Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Bar - councillor on Birmingham City Council
Paul Kohler, Lib Dem MP for Wimbledon - councillor on Merton Council
James MacCleary, Lib Dem MP for Lewes - councillor on East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council
Tessa Munt, Lib Dem MP for Wells and Mendip Hills - councillor on Somerset Council
Rebecca Paul, Conservative MP for Reigate - councillor on Surrey County Council
Michael Payne, Labour MP for Gedling - councillor on Gedling Borough Council
Lee Pitcher, Labour MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme - councillor on Hatfield Town Council
Richard Quigley, Labour MP for Isle of Wight West - councillor on Isle of Wight Council
Joshua Reynolds, Lib Dem MP for Maidenhead - councillor on Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council
Joe Robertson, Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East - councillor on Isle of Wight Council
Baggy Shanker, Labour MP for Derby South - councillor on Derby City Council
Vikki Slade, Lib Dem MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole - councillor on Bornemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Rebecca Smith, Conservative MP for South West Devon - councillor on Plymouth City Council
Blake Stephenson - Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, councillor on Central Bedfordshire Council
Luke Taylor, Lib Dem MP for Sutton and Cheam - councillor on Sutton Council
John Whitby, Labour MP for Derbyshire Dales - councillor on Derby City Council
Jo White, Labour MP for Bassetlaw - councillor on Bassetlaw District Council
Martin Wrigley, Lib Dem MP for Newton Abbott - councillor on Teinbridge District Council
David Williams, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North - councillor on Stoke-on-Trent City Councillor
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