Uproar as Police and Crime Commissioner collects second salary as councillor

Martin Shipton

More than 15 months after she was elected as Gwent’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Newport’s former Labour council leader Jane Mudd continues to rake in a second salary as a councillor.

In addition to her Commissioner’s salary of £73,302, Ms Mudd is paid £19,771 by Newport City Council as a backbencher representing the Malpas ward, bringing her total remuneration up to £93,073.

Questions are being asked about why Welsh Labour hasn’t insisted that she resigns her role as a backbench councillor.

[mid-content-banner]

Astonishment

Cllr Nigel Dix, who leads the Independent group on Caerphilly council, in the Gwent Police area, told Nation.Cymru: “I was chatting to a retired police officer and they mentioned their astonishment that she was still a councillor. It’s a talking point amongst the police, and I don’t think it will go down well with the public when they find out she’s picking up two salaries.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked when I found out she was still a councillor. allowed her to remain as a councillor. Surely being a Police and Crime Commissioner is a full-time job. And in my view there’s also a conflict of interest. She’s riding two horses.”

We contacted Newport council, where a spokesperson confirmed: “Councillor Mudd remains in receipt of her basic salary of £19.771, which is the same as every councillor without additional responsibilities.”

[lower-mid-content-banner]

By-election

Cllr Matthew Evans, the council’s Tory opposition leader, said: “We don’t see much of her at the council. She tends to attend meetings remotely.

“I think she should have resigned when she was elected as the Commissioner in May last year. Labour probably doesn’t want to hold a by-election now because they’ll be afraid of losing her seat to Reform,

“The fact that she’s also a councillor has stymied any scrutiny of her by the council. Previously, Police and Crime Commissioners came to our meetings and answered questions, but that’s not happening because she’s also a councilor.”

A Welsh Labour source said: “I’m really surprised we are allowing people to hold two distinct elected roles. They are not really related and both bring with them significant responsibility.

“There are real grumblings within Newport Labour, made worse by Jane’s refusal to recognise there is an issue.

“Welsh Labour needs to take a stronger line on what it expects of its elected representatives.”

Standing down

In December 2024 Ms Mudd told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she intended standing down as a councillor – but that she wasn’t yet ready to say when.

She had originally told the council in November 2023, that she intended standing down as its leader if elected to the post, stating it would be “impossible” to do both jobs.

After winning the election Ms Mudd resigned as city council leader and said she didn’t intend serving as a councillor for the full term that runs until 2027. Asked when she would announce a date for when she will step down she replied: “When I’m ready.”

Police and crime commissioners were introduced across Wales and England, outside of London, in 2012 and replaced the former police authorities that were drawn from appointed members and councillors selected by their unitary authorities.

The intention was a directly-elected public official would be better able to engage the public, but turnout at the elections has been low and only 15% of Gwent voters cast a ballot last year,

Since a change in the law, Ms Mudd would not have been able to serve as a Senedd Member and councillor simultaneously. A councillor can stand as a candidate for the Senedd, but if elected, they must resign their council seat. There is a brief period where a councillor elected to the Senedd can remain in their council position, specifically if the next scheduled council election is within 372 days.

We asked Cllr Mudd and Welsh Labour to comment, but neither responded to our messages.