Plymouth MP Urged to Resign From Council Position

Calls have been made for Plymouth MP Rebecca Smith to resign from her position as a city councillor, allowing for a by-election to take place. The city’s Reform UK party has requested that the Conservative politician step down. Plymstock Radford will hold elections this year – and suggested a by-election might take place at the same time as the referendum for an elected mayor on July 17.

Ms Smith secured the South West Devon constituency during last year’s general election. However, she continued serving as a city councillor. Today, she announced that she had planned all along to complete her full term, which concludes with the upcoming local authority elections in May 2026, and has decided to donate her council stipend to various community organizations.

The Labour-controlled council in Plymouth has requested two by-elections in Compton and Southway after the defections of Dylan Tippets to the Liberal Democrats , and Carol Ney to the Independent Party Now Reform UK is calling for Ms Smith to resign and instigate a new election.

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Peter Gold, vice chair of Reform UK for Plymouth and South West Devon stated: "It's high time Rebecca Smith put an end to her dual roles and resigned from her position on the council. Her duty was to serve the constituents of her ward, rather than simply allocate her stipend to charitable causes."

He stated that elections for four wards might take place, including Honicknowle where Zoe Reilly has left the Labour Party To achieve independence, he stated: "With the directly elected mayor referendum scheduled for July 17th, this presents an ideal chance to conduct a by-election without additional expenses. We should aim for all four positions and truly amplify the stage for genuine representation."

Ms Smith has served as a city councillor since 2018, winning re-election in 2022. So far this year, she has participated in three out of the seven scheduled full council meetings.

Ms Smith stated that she plans to step down from her position on the city council next year. She explained: "Similar to numerous recently elected Members of Parliament, I too have spent several years serving as a councillor in the constituency which I currently represent, and I intend to complete my current term."

From the outset, I've made it evident that I plan to step down in 2026 and won’t be pursuing re-election as a councillor. Additionally, I intend to contribute my Councillor stipend to various community organisations throughout this period.

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