Plymouth councillors who moved 130 miles away from city resign

Dan Collins and wife Shannon Burden have resigned as Plymouth councillors.

Two members of Plymouth City Council, who relocated more than 130 miles (210km) away, have stepped down after a backlash from fellow councillors.

Conservative councillors Dan Collins and Shannon Burden, who are married, said they had resigned their positions with immediate effect.

The couple were elected in May 2021, but have since moved to Gloucester.

Councillors had pressured them to resign immediately, rather then wait until the next election.

Announcing their decision, Mr Collins and Ms Burden said their "personal circumstances" had made their positions "untenable".

"We have both decided to resign with immediate effect," they said in a statement.

"It is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it has become clear our personal circumstances have made it untenable for us to continue as councillors."

Councillor Shannon Burden was elected in May 2021

The pair said they had originally intended to stay on until the next set of elections in May.

They added: "But it seems clear some councillors want to spend thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on by-elections."

A motion calling on the councillors to step down passed with 31 votes in favour.

Many Tory councillors decided to abstain rather than voting against, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.