City councillor stepped down ahead of election

A LEADING councillor has resigned just weeks ahead of the Exeter City Council elections. Her seat is among those due to be contested at the polls next month.

Emma Morse has left her role as a Labour councillor for Whipton and Mincinglake and member of the city council’s executive, the BBC reports.

It’s understood that Ms Morse resigned on March 15 but that there was no formal announcement of her departure at the time.

She was first elected in 2015, following in the footsteps of her father, grandfather, two uncles and aunt, who had all been Exeter city councillors.

Her father Chester Long was leader of the council from 1983 and 1999, as well as having represented the Barton, Whipton and Wonford wards in his political career, which began in 193.

When she first became a councillor, Ms Morse held the portfolio which was labelled ‘customer access.’ She later went on to be portfolio holder for ‘supporting people,’ which covered a range of responsibilities such as benefits, homelessness prevention, council tax and housing advice.

In a statement to the BBC, she said she would remain a member of Labour Party. The reason for her decision to resign as a councillor have not been given, specified only as “personal reasons”.

There will not be a by-election as her resignation was within six months of her usual retirement date.

Her statement said: “I have resigned from Exeter City Council for personal reasons. I remain a member of the Labour Party and I am committed to supporting Exeter Labour Party and its aims going forward.”

Ms Morse’s resignation leaves Labour with 23 seats, the Greens with six, the Conservatives with four, the Liberal Democrats with three and two independents.

Her seat in Mincinglake and Whipton is one of 13 in Exeter that is due to be contested at the upcoming local elections on May 2.

Former Exeter city councillor Emma Morse, who resigned on March 15