Southwark Labour deputy leader must quit

5.18.00pm GMT Sun 31st Jan 2010

Southwark Liberal Democrats have called on Labour's deputy leader Councillor Alison McGovern, to resign after being selected to fight a parliamentary seat more than 210 miles from her Camberwell ward.

Commenting Lib Dem Chief Whip, Cllr James Barber said:

"Cllr McGovern cannot be an effective representative when she is now clearly committed to somewhere more than 200 miles away. It is clear from her campaign that she has no intention of doing her job as a local councillor. Out of 69 'tweets' on her website this year there is just a single entry of relevance to Camberwell and Southwark.

"So once again the people of Southwark - who pay Cllr McGovern £13,000 a year to do a job in South London not South Wirral - are being short-changed by Labour. When Susan Elan Jones was selected for a Labour seat in North Wales, she knew she couldn't be in two places so far apart at once and resigned. Cllr McGovern should do the same."

ENDS

Notes - Cllr McGovern is entitled to £10,213 basic allowance paid to all councillors for carrying out their duties. In addition she receives an additional £2,849 'special responsibility allowance' for extra duties as deputy leader of the majority opposition group.