A Liberal Democrat from Bovey Tracey, who was hoping to become the first member of parliament to serve the new Central Devon seat, has spoken exclusively to the Advertiser about her decision to quit.

She said the system had failed her as a working mother on a modest family income.

The shock move by Cllr Sally Morgan, pictured right, a 38-year-old former teacher, leaves her party searching for a candidate with less than a year until the general election.

The communities served by the new constituency include Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Chudleigh, Bovey Tracey, Moretonhampstead and Exminster.

Past voting habits suggest the seat should deliver a close fight between the Lib Dems and Conservatives.

Cllr Morgan was named Lib Dem candidate in June 2007 but stood down earlier this week, her resignation coming two months after losing her county council seat to Tory rival Cllr George Gribble and then quitting her seat on the town council. She continues to serve on Teignbridge Council.

It is also just a month since a leaked email revealed a bitter argument between Cllr Morgan and her party.

Fresh from her defeat in the local elections she told colleagues she no longer subscribed to the 'bull****' which promised the Lib Dems were well placed to fight the general election.

She claimed paid party 'apparatchiks' did little more than forward emails, something her 11-year-old daughter could do for 'the price of a tenner and a few bags of Haribo cola bottles'.

She also complained about a lack of support saying: 'Perhaps the party thinks [candidates] who are councillors and mothers have no time for such fripperies.'

Cllr Morgan said the Lib Dems could 'sing' for additional donations and ended the email: 'Yours, with b****r all to lose, Sally.'

Now she has confirmed her decision to step down as the Central Devon candidate.

She said it was 'no longer fair nor possible' to burden her family with the personal and financial pressures but that she remained loyal to the party.

Her resignation coincided with the unexpected death of her father-in-law in Wales. As a result, Cllr Morgan was unavailable for comment.

However, she gave the Advertiser the following exclusive statement.

She said: 'There are only a handful of women in the Commons who have children of school age, most of them have either not had children yet or at all, or they have long since flown the nest.

'The few that do are usually wealthy and employ nannies.  

'This is a crying shame because it means that millions of people are under-represented in parliament. It was one of the main reasons that I went into politics.

'After the last couple of years it has become very clear to me why there are so few.

'I was a county councillor for four years and have been a parliamentary candidate and a district councillor for two years.

'I have really enjoyed my roles and felt I was a role model to my daughter, who is incredibly proud of me.  However, I could not escape the guilt. It is the guilt that many mothers feel when they return to work after having children. 

'I did not return to work until my daughter started school but mine was no ordinary work. I usually worked a 60-plus hour week, including weekends, often long into the night. Most evenings were taken up with some meeting or other, or out knocking on doors. 

'There is a huge amount of pressure in being a candidate. Unless you have loads of money and an office full of staff, as do some political parties, then most of the work and responsibility falls on you personally, as does the pressure on your family.

'You cannot do it all, something has to give.

'We are not millionaires like the Tory candidate. My husband is a teacher, an already high pressure profession, on a modest salary.  My daughter starts secondary school in September and I want to be there for her more to support her through an important transition.'

The only other declared candidate, Tory Mel Stride, kept his comments short.

'All I want to say on this is that I wish her and her family all the very best for the future,' he said.

In a brief statement from Liberal Democrat headquarters a spokesman told the Advertiser Cllr Morgan had worked 'very hard' for the party and they thanked her 'for everything she has done'.

The selection process for a new candidate, they said, was due to start 'shortly'.

Leader of the Lib Dems at Teignbridge Council, Cllr Alan Connett, has in the past sought selection as a parliamentary candidate, most recently in Exeter where he wanted to take on Labour MP Ben Bradshaw but failed to win the support of his party.

He ruled out standing for the Central Devon seat saying: 'I have enough on my plate.'