Exeter

RESEARCH

A

Morse, Emma (1978-)

Biography

  • Born 1978
  • Labour Party City Councillor

Emma Morse was born in Exeter in 1978 to Chester and Anita Long. Emma has a history of political activity within her family, as her mother, father and grandfather were city councillors. Emma has early childhood memories spending much time involved in the legwork of canvassing for the Exeter Labour party, which informed her early understanding of politics and activism. At this early stage in her life Emma met prominent Labour figures through the activity of her parents, such as John Prescott and Jimmy Knapp. She attended school locally, but left Exeter to study at university level.

Emma cites this early experience of political activity as the prequel to her ‘rebellion’ at university, when she was not engaged in the political process. After university Emma worked for a time in Cambridge and London, before moving back to Devon.

When she returned to Exeter, Emma and her husband paid a greater attention to the actions of the Labour Party. Emma was approached to stand in city council elections of 2013, after her predecessor stepped down. She continued to stand for, and win, the Pinhoe and Mincinglake seat, fulfilling her wish of representing the local community where she grew up.  Emma’s husband Robert is also a Labour delegate.

Transcript of clip

  • What’s your earliest political memory?

    They’re all political I think. There are things that stick very much in my mind with the Miners’ Strike that probably would have been when I was around four or five, which would have been around the time that I was forming pretty strong memories. I remember election campaigns as well, but they all tend to blur into one, especially general election campaigns. I remember meeting people like Jimmy Knapp and John Prescott when I was very little and being told they were very important and not really understanding why. But probably the Miners’ Strike is the strongest because we became quite involved in food parcels, moving food parcels to Wales, and during the school holidays children in Wales came down to Devon and stayed with our family to get a sort of holiday and get away from what was happening there. So my first really conscious memory of politics and starting to understand maybe what politics meant, more than somewhere I went with my dad, was during the Miners’ crisis.

    So your family was obviously quite involved, well your dad at least with Wales, so you were just playing around then and everything was just happening around you?

    Yes, probably I was about ten, twelve, and I can remember properly taking numbers on doors at polling stations and delivering leaflets. I can remember delivering leaflets my whole childhood for about 50p.  And the more sort of political awareness of what my dad did as well, he was on the council and they made decisions and their elections, they’re a political party. That probably happened sometime around [when I was] eight, ten-ish.

     

Interview Summary

Date of recording:  27/06/14
Name of interviewer: Claire Marchetti

[00.00] Interviewer introduces Emma Morse, County Councillor for Pinhoe & Mincinglake, Exeter, 2013 – present. [00.30] Description of family. [01.10] Description of parents' careers. [01.40] Description of meeting husband. Comments on political affiliations' of husband's family. [02.15] Comments on son's early involvement in politics. [02.58] Description of earliest political memory, namely the Miner's strike and election campaigns. Comments on family's involvement in politics, and consciously understanding what her parents were doing. [04.14] Description of first true involvement in political campaigns – taking numbers at polling stations. Remarks again on awareness of politics. Comments on being immersed in politics through father's enthusiasm. [05.23] Description of detaching herself from politics in 1997. Story of going to university, and not engaging in politics, her 'rebellion' (05.53). [05.59] Description of her schooling, including university. [06.53] Description of early work history in London. [07.24] Description of moving back to Devon, working for DEFRA, and working in the civil service in Cambridge. [08.35] Description of getting involved in Politics again. Story of being approached to stand in an election, but declined. Remarks on women-only short lists. Comments on idea of being invested in the community, and so wanting to engage in the process. [10.38] Description of being selected to stand once Saxton Spence stood down, in 2013. [12.12] Description on becoming more confident in her role, and the support given by others. [13.10] Comments on age range and gender split of the council. [14.05] Remarks on the reception she had at the Labour Club upon becoming involved again in politics. Comments on gaining the respect of the members. [16.02] Description of the official involvement of her husband in the Labour Club. Comments on the family aspect and support of the Labour Club. [17.27] Comments on moral importance of being involved in politics, and passing this onto her children. [18.47] Description of an ordinary day on the council. [20.33] Description of the 'Frank Dobson Principle'. Comments on cross-over of meetings and briefings. [24.14] Comments on holding ward surgeries and contacting constituents through canvassing. Story of promoting surgeries, and running events and street surgeries. [27.15] Remarks on gender discrimination at surgeries and lack of knowledge on public's part about their councillors, and how they are trying to combat this. [29.30] Comments on the unitary status of Plymouth and Torbay. Remarks on the problem of overlapping councils. [31.13] Comments on the need to simplify local government. Comments on current planning system. Story of working in the planning department. [32.00] Comments on the challenges of bureaucracy. [33.53] Discussion of the challenges she faces as a county councillor, namely the lack of engagement of her constituents. Remarks on the public view of politicians. [35.39] Comments on lack of public engagement in both politics and the volunteering sector. Remarks on her father's public recognition. Discussion on the importance of public recognition at election time. Story of Whipton 'bucking trends'.[37.19] Discussion of political apathy. Comments on role of Labour party and the media for this. [38.26] Description of why she does not wish to be an MP. [40.01] Description of challenges faced by councillors due to the economic climate. Remarks that in spite of this, she still enjoys her work. [41.48] Discussion of youth vote and how to engage young people in politics. [42.44] Story of helping a first time voter. Comments on how important it is to vote. Story of ruined ballots. [45.23] Remarks on the personal importance of using her vote. [45.56] Discussion of engaging minorities in Exeter in the political arena. Description of how the local Labour Party have been approaching this problem. [48.45] Discussion of how the Labour Party community raise money and awareness. [51.05] Discussion of the importance of local issues in comparison to national issues. [52.36] Comments on the importance of the individual versus the party in Devon. Story of this year's election and the personal vote, remarks on the importance of being well known within the community. [55.57] Description of her personal experience of the 1997 election. [01.01.01] Discussion of women-only short lists. Remarks on the gender split, and how it affects work. [01.04.01] Discussion of the challenges women face in Devon politics. Story of not being recognised as a Councillor several times. [01.07.23] Description of the gender split on the Council. Comments on the treatment she can receive at events. [01.08.58] Description of the role women can play in Devon politics. Remarks on the diverse quality of Devon, and how this reflects in the councillors elected. [01.12.10] Discussion of the role race plays in the politics of Devon. Comments on how engagement with minorities in Devon has increased, thanks to the leadership of the Labour party. [01.15.18] Discussion of the role class plays in Devon politics. Comments on social flexibility, and the way people perceive their own social class. [01.16.22] Discussion on the way Labour currently engages with the various social classes, and the importance of finding the balance. Comments on the lack of current engagement with the working class, and the change in policy from New Labour. Remarks on the lack of pride in what they did when in power. [01.19.53] Comments on the importance of supporting the public, so that they are able to increase their quality of life in the way they want to. [01.21.07] Description of how she deals with religion in politics. Comments on the importance religion can play in community. [01.24.16] Discussion of how Devon is treated in national politics, and how being a 'self-sufficient', diverse county can impede Devon's influence in Westminster. [01.26.45] Discussion of the youth vote, and the importance of engaging young people in politics at an early age. Story of the movement against the closure of youth clubs. [01.29.59] Description of the role of media and social media in youth engagement. [01.32.48] Description of her membership of the Whipton Labour Social Club. [01.35.14] Description of her achievements as a councillor to date, creating the first ever Beacon Heath Summer Fête, and discussion of her future hopes. [01.41.18] End of interview.

 

  • Emma here discusses how important politics was to her whole family, and remembers in particular the impact of the Miners' strike.

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