Former council leader accused of ‘double-jobbing’ in PCC role

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

A former council leader of has been accused of “double-jobbing” by collecting two public-sector salaries.

An opposition councillor has questioned whether Jane Mudd, former leader of Newport City Council, should remain in her role as a ward councillor while also serving as Gwent’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) – which comes with a yearly salary of £73,302.

David Fouweather suggested she should “do the right thing” and stand down as a representative of the Malpas ward.

In response, Cllr Mudd and her successor as the leader of the city council defended her record of representing her community.

Step down

Speaking at a council meeting this week, Cllr Fouweather noted that then-Monmouthshire county councillor Catherine Fookes had stepped down “almost immediately” after winning a seat in the House of Commons in July.

“Will you ask Cllr Mudd now to do the right thing, stand down, and call a by-election in the Malpas ward?” he asked the council leader.

Dimitri Batrouni, who took over the reins from Cllr Mudd in May, dismissed those suggestions and said councillors should be “careful” about criticising “double-jobbing”.

“A lot of councillors work full-time in other jobs… and I think that should be welcomed in the main, because it brings outside experience,” said Cllr Batrouni.

Cllr Mudd’s new PCC role would add knowledge of policing and crime issues to the council, he suggested, adding that outside experience was “important for us to understand and inform our debates”.

He said he spoke regularly with Cllr Mudd, whose “focus is on the PCC [role] and on the residents of Malpas”.

‘Privilege’

Following that exchange, the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Cllr Mudd for her comments on the “double-jobbing” allegations.

“I love my community – it is a privilege to serve here and I have always tried to help and support our residents, [alongside] my two fellow Labour councillors,” she replied.

“My husband and I both grew up in Malpas and we have raised our family here. I’ve always been active in my community; I’ve been a school governor in Malpas for 30 years, even prior to my election as a councillor.”

Cllr Mudd said her constituents had elected her three times to represent the Malpas ward.

“While doing this, like many other councillors across the UK, I have also worked in a full time capacity – as the head of a university department, the leader of the city council, and now as the PCC for Gwent,” she said.

“I am a strong advocate for the Local Government Association’s “Diversity in Democracy” campaign and believe that our strength, as elected representatives, lies firmly within the broad range of knowledge, skills and experience that we bring to our roles, which reflects the living tapestry of our communities.”