Cllr Ashley Fox, newly elected to the European Parliament from the South West region, is to stay on Bristol City Council until May. He will no longer claim his councillor allowances but feels it would be wrong to impose the cost of a byelection.
Cllr Fox says that he will make promoting free trade his priority as an MEP. From his blog it sounds as though he will be an excellent MEP and very much in step with the new Eurosceptic grouping.
But why should he stand down as a councillor in May? I suppose there could be the odd clash of meetings but the European Parliament only meets in full 12 days a year plus a couple of days a month "plenary sessions" in Brussels and Strasbourg. To suggest being an MEP is a full time job is absurd.
