A lecturer is hoping to become Otley and Yeadon’s first Labour councillor in 15 years. Otley Town Councillor Carl Morris has been selected to stand as the party’s candidate for the ward in the 2014 Leeds City Council elections. Coun Morris, 31, was born and raised in Otley where he lives with his partner, Lisa, and their two year old son. A higher education lecturer in religion and sociology, he is part of the town council’s working group that is busy trying to stack up a business case for reopening Otley Civic Centre. Earlier this year he also helped champion the Dementia Friendly Otley campaign. He said: “I grew up here and I’ve recently started a family of my own, so you couldn’t ask for someone to be more committed to the area.”