Glasgow by-elections to be held as two Labour MPs resign from council roles

Two recently-elected MPs are standing down as city councillors, Glasgow Labour has announced.

Patricia Ferguson and Maureen Burke were elected to represent Glasgow West and Glasgow North East at Westminster in July, but had remained in their council roles since.

There had been calls for the pair to resign, with the city’s Green group claiming the new MPs couldn’t give the councillor posts the attention they deserve.

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Now, the Labour group has said the two MPs have tendered their resignation, having written to the council’s chief executive, Susanne Millar, this morning.

It added the pair had “relinquished their city council salaries immediately after their election” but had continued carrying out their duties until today.

By-elections will now be held in the Drumchapel/Anniesland and North East wards.

Glasgow Labour group leader George Redmond said: “While I am disappointed to lose two experienced councillors from our group, it is for a great reason and I wish them both the very best at Westminster.

“The Labour group are delighted for their former colleagues but we will miss them. I look forward to campaigning in the upcoming by-elections for their replacements.”

Glasgow’s Green group previously called for the councillors to resign, and said it had opened nominations for party members to nominate themselves as possible candidates for a by-election in both wards.

At the time, Cllr Jon Molyneux, co-leader of the Glasgow Green councillor group, said: “Constituents across Drumchapel/Anniesland and North East deserve to have the full attention of their councillors, not being represented by someone spending all their time working in London.

“It’s about time for them to stop holding on to their dual mandate and allow their constituents to choose their replacements.”

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