Calls for MP to resign from Plymouth City Council

South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith (standing) says she will step down as a councillor in 2026

Two city council members have called for another member to resign because she is also an MP.

Rebecca Smith, who represents Plymstock Radford on Plymouth City Council and was elected as South West Devon MP in 2024, was scheduled to attend meetings on 16 May, 2 June and 15 September but sent apologies.

Independent councillors Patrick Nicholson and Terri Beer said Smith's only attendance at a city council meeting since the beginning of the municipal year was for 21 minutes as a substitute at a planning committee in June.

The pair said they would submit a motion to the next full council meeting calling for her to resign. Smith said she planned to serve the rest of her term until 2026.

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

Smith said she would step down in 2026 when all council seats in Plymouth were up for election and would be donating her councillor allowance to charity, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Patrick Nicholson said: "Councillor Smith has the privilege of representing us in parliament and we need her there full time, standing up and holding the government to account for all residents of her constituency."

Terri Beer added: "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: "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.

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.