A Kent MP has resigned from his role as a borough councillor after 35 years.

Jim Dickson, who is the MP for Dartford, has stepped down as the member for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction ward, in Lambeth, south London.

He was first appointed to Lambeth Council in 1990, serving as its leader between 1984 and 2000, and was also previously the cabinet member for health.

At the 2022 local elections, Mr Dickson received the most votes of all candidates in his ward, gaining 2,429 votes.

He was elected alongside fellow Labour candidates, Pauline George and Deepak Sardiwal.

A by-election will now be held on May 1 to choose his successor.

The 61-year-old has been the MP for Dartford since July when he won the country’s longest-running bellwether seat from the Tories.

In a closely-contested election, longstanding MP Gareth Johnson was ousted by Mr Dickson who scored 15,392 votes compared to Mr Johnson’s 14,200.

Mr Dickson was approached for comment.