Newly elected MP for Monmouthshire Catherine Fookes has confirmed she has told MCC she plans to stand down from her council after allegations from the authority’s Conservative leader that she was failing to stick to her pre-election promise to be ‘a full-time MP’.

Cllr Richard John had accused Mrs Fookes of ‘double-jobbing’ by retaining her other role as a county councillor for Monmouth’s Town ward where she has served since May 2022 when Labour became the largest - and ruling party - on the county council. 

Cllr Fookes’ committee places are set to be reallocated to other councillors, including her place on the Performance and Overview scrutiny committee, which Cllr Fookes hasn’t attended since January 2024, having missed the past five meetings.

Previously. at a special meeting of the council’s performance and overview scrutiny committee its chairman, Conservative Alistair Neill, had said it would be “helpful” to “seek clarity whether Cllr Fookes plans to continue to be a member of the committee.  

“She wasn’t able to attend the previous meeting and found it difficult to attend more recently.” 

Cllr John Crook said the Labour group has been discussing a forward plan for “reassigning people to certain committees.”  

Cllr Fookes was unable to attend a scrutiny committee meeting last Thursday (July 11) when campaigners against the proposed closure of Goldwire Lane attended, the meeting which concluded that a report from Highways and cabinet was needed. 

Conservative Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Richard John, has tabled a motion congratulating Cllr Fookes on her election but urging her to stick to her promise and resign her council seat, enabling residents in Town ward to choose a new county councillor in a by-election - a county by-election would not be popular with the Labour-led council as it could change the dynamics of control.

The next council elections are in May 2026.

Cllr Richard John said, “While I congratulate Catherine Fookes on her election, she promised to be a full-time MP so I’m disappointed that it now seems that she proposes to carry on being a local councillor from London. 

“It really isn’t fair on the public for Cllr Fookes to take both salaries when everyone knows it would be impossible to do justice to both jobs,” he added.

Mrs Fookes has since confirmed that she intends to resign said she has not taken an allowance from Monmouthshire County Council since she was elected.

“On Sunday, July 7 I wrote to the council asking them to stop paying me which they did with immediate effect.  I am not drawing two salaries.   The Conservatives should check their facts before making insinuations and accusations,” she said.

“Some councillors who enter the Commons do diligently perform two roles, especially where their council ward sits within their constituency, as mine does with Town ward. However, personally I have always been clear that I would not have two jobs if elected to Parliament. 

“I can therefore confirm that I will be resigning in due course, but triggering an election in the school holidays is not in the interests of voters as many residents will be away. I will formally tender my resignation at a time that will lead to an election when the maximum number of voters can participate.

“Cllr John may now want to turn his powers of scrutiny on certain Conservative MPs such as Greg Stafford who appears to remain a Councillor in Ealing after being elected as MP miles away in Farnham and Bordon,” added Mrs Fookes.