Deidre Brock is stepping down as councillor for Leith Walk (Ward 12). She will focus instead on her new role as MP for the Westminster parliamentary constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith.
In a letter to City of Edinbugh Council's chief executive Sue Bruce at the weekend, Brock wrote:
Dear Sue,
It has been a honour to serve as a councillor in Scotland's capital city and a great privilege to represent the people of Leith Walk ward on the City of Edinburgh Council. The colleagues I have had over the eight years in service have been excellent and I would like to thank them for that. I would also like to thank you for all you did to make my time in service easier and your efforts in ensuring the people of Edinburgh get best service from their council. I would like to include the staff of the Council in that praise – they all serve the city well.
As you know, however, I was elected to serve as a Member of Parliament in May and I do not believe it is practical or possible for me to continue to serve as both a councillor and an MP. For that reason I feel I must tender my resignation to you at this time and resign as a councillor with immediate effect. I will send a hard copy of this email to you at the earliest possible opportunity.
Yours,
Cllr Deidre Brock
Brock's resignation will now trigger a by-election, although the exact timing of this remains unclear to Spurtle. We await clarification from City of Edinburgh officials.
UPDATE
For by-election date and details, see Breaking news (25.6.15).
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