Former council leader resigns seat on authority

A former council leader who was elected to parliament in 2024 has decided to give up his seat on his local authority.

Shaun Davies has represented the Dawley and Malinslee ward on Telford and Wrekin Council for the last 15 years.

He was elected leader from 2016, but stepped down from that role when he stood in the general election and became Labour MP for Telford.

Davies said he was advised to give up his council seat when he was appointed a government whip last week.

He said: "I will always be a Dawley lad – I am Telford born and bred, raising my own family here.

"It has been the privilege of my life to represent my home, Malinslee and Dawley Bank, for 15 years."

Davies had come under pressure from Conservatives on the authority, who had argued he was not able to spend enough time attending council meetings.

Conservative group leader Andrew Eade said it had "left the community in Dawley without proper representation for two years".

Eade also said: "Of course any move to jump ship voluntarily will have more to do with the embarrassing potential for a sitting Labour MP to lose his council seat at next May's local elections here in the borough."

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