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Thousands sign digital ID card protest petition
More than 4,500 people across Taunton and Wellington have signed a petition opposing the introduction of digital ID cards. They are being supported by their MP, Gideon Amos, who spoke against the idea in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday (Monday). Mr Amos said afterwards: "I have grave concerns about the government’s ability to keep our personal data safe. “A digital record of everyone would carry even greater risk than the data leaks which are already commonplace and, as I
2 days ago1 min read


MP's monthly column: December 2025
As I made clear in the Commons recently, the only thing leakier than the government’s pre-Budget period is the roof of Musgrove Park Hospital’s maternity and children’s unit. 2033 is just too far off for Musgrove's rebuild project; it has to start much sooner – I won’t be letting Ministers off the hook on that one. It really is time they came to see for themselves. The fact the Office of Budget Responsibility had advised the hole in the public finances was £4 billion, rather
Dec 33 min read


Gideon Amos fears for future of rural schools
The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, told a Parliamentary debate that the proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill could place the future of rural schools under threat. The Bill represents a significant reform package, addressing both children’s social care and educational standards, with implications for public authorities, schools, and families throughout England. But Mr Amos said that more than 300 people from his constituency had signed a petition calling
Dec 32 min read


Gideon Amos MP reacts to the Budget
Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has pledged to keep fighting for interim funding for the maternity unit at Musgrove Park Hospital. He was speaking in the debate on the Budget, details of which were leaked before the Chancellor got to her feet to speak. Mr Amos told the government that “the only thing more leaky than the pre-budget period is the roof at Musgrove Park Hospital” and made a call for interim funding for hospitals like Musgrove Park, awaiting its promis
Nov 272 min read


Gideon Amos calls on Chancellor for Musgrove funding
Taunton and Wellington's MP, Gideon Amos, has called on the Chancellor to include interim funding for Musgrove Park Hospital's maternity unit in Wednesday's Budget. In a letter to Rachel Reeves, he said: "While the government has promised funding for a new maternity and paediatric unit in 2033, more needs to be done. "Urgent repairs to the roof and other key areas of the building are required. "Without interim funding, I am concerned that the building will not survive until 2
Nov 251 min read


Campaign to save vital hydrotherapy pool
Compass Wellbeing, a community facility run by Taunton-based charity Compass Disability Services, welcomed Gideon Amos MP as part of the latest fundraising efforts to save its hydrotherapy pool. The fully-accessible pool, used by almost 100 people each week, is at risk of closure if urgent repairs are not carried out. Michelle Edwards, centre manager, gave Mr Amos a tour of the facilities, and spoke about why the pool is so important. “As the only publicly bookable hydr
Nov 192 min read


Gideon Amos MP urges VAT cut for hospitality sector
The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, is calling on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to slash VAT on the hospitality sector in next week’s Budget. Mr Amos is backing a Liberal Democrat campaign to get the tax on pubs, restaurants, hotels and entertainment outlets reduced from 20% to 15%. He says the plan would boost footfall and tackle the double whammy of higher taxes and lower spending, currently hammering food and drink venues. “Just because the Chancellor needed cas
Nov 182 min read


Gideon Amos MP demands action on town centre pharmacy
Gideon Amos MP is stepping up his efforts to get the Jhoots pharmacy in Wellington’s town centre either reopened or sold. He has written to both the company and to Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, to demand action. The Fore Street pharmacy has suffered from intermittent opening hours – a sign on the door says it is “currently closed due to lack of pharmacist.” Allied Pharmacies has announced that it has taken over the management
Nov 122 min read


Gideon Amos MP speaks out on 'great British property rip off'
The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, has related harrowing stories of constituents hit by “the great British property rip-off.” He was speaking during a House of Commons debate on leasehold and freehold issues affecting millions of properties in England. Mr Amos, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on housing and communities, described the current system as “feudal.” He said it “traps homeowners in a cycle of uncapped ground rents, exploitative charges and similarly
Nov 53 min read


Gideon Amos MP demands tax hotline for elderly
The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, has demanded the launch a hotline for pensioners, after new figures revealed that more than 80 million calls to HMRC have gone unanswered over the last decade. Research by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the party’s Trade and Investment Spokesperson Joshua Reynolds MP, shows that one in five calls to HMRC went unanswered in the last decade, leaving taxpayers without support. In 2024-25 alone, over six million calls
Nov 52 min read


Gideon Amos calls for emergency package on GP appointments
The MP for Taunton and Wellington, Gideon Amos, has called for an “emergency package” to drastically improved GP waiting times. It comes after new research revealed that, since January, 188,811 appointments in Somerset have had waits of over 28 days. That’s up from 60,152 at the same point five years ago, an increase of more than 200%. Local waits of over two weeks have increased from 230,617 in 2020 to 546,203 this year, an increase of 137%. Mr Amos has welcomed the
Oct 282 min read


MP supports students' calls for housing upgrades
Taunton and Wellington’s MP Gideon Amos supported students from the constituency at an event in London calling for upgrades to the quality of housing across the country. The gathering in Parliament Square was organised by Citizens UK and included schoolchildren, dressed as builders, who presented their call for action through a song while waving homemade banners, spanners and hammers. Those taking part were calling on the Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluske
Oct 242 min read


Gideon Amos MP slams government on family farm tax
Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has slammed the government for refusing to listen to farmers. His comments came following reports that the Chancellor does not plan to amend or repeal the damaging family farm tax in next month’s Budget. Farmers are preparing to stage a nationwide ‘Day of Unity’ on Monday, 24th November, to protest against the government’s proposed Inheritance Tax reforms. Mr Amos has supported the rural community in their campaign to reve
Oct 222 min read


Gideon Amos MP calls for more support for hospices
Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, is warning that terminally ill patients across the country are facing cuts to vital hospice care. A staunch supporter of St Margaret’s Hospice – based at Bishops Hull and with a hub in Yeovil – he is backing a Liberal Democrat campaign in Parliament to save our country's hospices. The party is warning that many of them “are on the brink of collapse unless Government Ministers step in now.” The warning comes amid news that two in five
Oct 213 min read


Gideon Amos MP hails 'huge win' on military accommodation
Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, is celebrating the success of a long-standing campaign to improve the quality of Armed Forces accommodation. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Housing and Communities, working with colleagues in Parliament, has won a new legal right for military homes to be annually assessed. The Government initially voted down his proposal in the House of Commons but, after Mr Amos brought the proposal back and won cross-party support for the ide
Oct 173 min read


Gideon Amos MP welcomes good news on local business front
Taunton MP, Gideon Amos, has praised ‘resilient’ local businesses as data shows that new business registrations across Somerset, and...
Oct 82 min read


The ‘Magic Dentist’
Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, has launched an innovative scheme to take dental care advice into local primary schools. He has...
Sep 243 min read


Gideon Amos MP calls for SEND reform
Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has demanded a radical overhaul of the support available to children and adults with special...
Sep 173 min read


Station plans are on track
Wellington’s MP Gideon Amos has held a “very positive” site meeting with Network Rail officials to discuss plans for the town’s new...
Sep 162 min read


Gideon Amos MP calls for hospitality sector support
Pubs, hotels and other hospitality businesses in Taunton and Wellington need to be treated fairly by the government, Gideon Amos MP told...
Sep 52 min read
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