Dorothy Thornhill has reiterated that she will stand down as Watford’s Mayor if she is elected MP – but is unsure when she would call a by-election.

Councillor Matt Turmaine, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate, asked the Mayor is she agreed with his stance that whoever wins May 7’s General Election should only do one job from day one.

Mayor Thornhill said if she was “opportunistic” she would call a by-election the following day but feels it would be unfair on the town.

She told Full Council: “If I won the election and held an immediate by-election, one would hope whoever the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate was would benefit from the General Election bounce.

“There will be a by-election but the mayor’s position is important enough that the political parties need to get their candidates out there in to the public domain so they can choose their mayor in the confidence of knowing everyone and their manifestos.

“But what does make me happy, Matt, is that you think I can win.”

Mayor Thornhill told the Observer last week that she were she to win the election she would not take two full salaries. She has previously said she would also appoint deputy mayors to help her run Town Hall.

She told the WO: “I will not hold two jobs but [the by-election] would need more than a month, so it may be a few months down the line.

“But I would not be taking two full salaries.”

Conservative MP Richard Harrington and Mr Turmaine both said last week that they believe MPs should only have one job.

Mr Harrington said: “I believe being an MP is a six-day-a-week occupation, any examination of my diary would show this.”

Mr Turmaine, the Labour party candidate, said: “I call on the other parliamentary candidates for the general election in Watford to join me in supporting a ban on second jobs for MPs.

“If I’m elected in May, I won’t be doing any second jobs – can the other candidates say the same?”