A Labour councillor who came within 1,500 votes of ousting a Conservative government minister has decided not to contest next year’s county elections.

Mel Dawkins, who represents Canterbury city south, says she wants to spend more time on a youth project in the city.

Cllr Dawkins will remain in her post until Kent County Council goes to the polls on May 1, 2025. She will also stay on as a Canterbury city councillor.

At July’s general election, Cllr Dawkins almost took the Faversham and Mid-Kent seat from Tory social care minister Helen Whately.

She reduced Mrs Whately’s majority from nearly 21,976 to just 1,469 although polling suggests the Conservatives should retain it in 2029 by a more comfortable margin.

Cllr Dawkins, who won her seat at County Hall in 2021 with a comfortable 41% share of the vote, said the Youth Platform project in the city is progressing and wants to devote more time to that.

The scheme aims to give somewhere for young people to gather in a “pop in, pop out” base in order to tackle antisocial behaviour and other issues.

Cllr Dawkins said: “I just wanted to concentrate on the youth project I have been working on for a long time.

“We have premises (in the High Street) and planning permission and I’m just trying to sort the lease out.

“I am still in the Labour Party and I will definitely be the KCC member until May next year and I will still be a Canterbury councillor.”

The Labour group at KCC recently lost one of its Thanet members, Cllr Barry Lewis, who left the party and will fight his Margate division as an independent next year.