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Somerset’s MPs joined forces yesterday (Tuesday) to urge the Local Government Minister for extra funding to prevent an 11 per cent Council Tax rise in the county. The meeting took place in the Parliamentary offices of Alison McGovern, who told MPs she would consider their proposals and respond as soon as possible. Lib Dem MPs Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington), Adam Dance (Yeovil), Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton), Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead) and Anna Sabine

Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, is opposing the government’s proposed reforms to the jury trial system. The Justice Secretary, David Lammy, wants to scrap jury trials in England and Wales for crimes which carry a likely sentence of less than two years. Serious offences including murder, robbery and rape will still go before a jury but magistrates, who deal with the majority of all criminal cases, will take on even more work. Mr Amos said: “Taunton has been the sce

Gideon Amos MP is supporting a campaign for action at a Taunton railway crossing where a local teenager tragically lost his life. Harry Basham, 17, died at the ‘5/13’ pedestrian crossing, located about a mile east of Taunton Station, on October 24th. A petition has now been launched for either safety improvements or the complete closure of the crossing. It has so far been signed by more than 2,800 people. You can sign the petition by CLICKING HERE . Mr Amos said: “My deepest

A Government Health Minister is looking into the level of pharmacy provision in Wellington after being lobbied by local MP, Gideon Amos. Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, was contacted by Mr Amos who expressed his concern that the number of pharmacies in the town had dropped from four to two. The facility run by Boots at Wellington Medical Centre in Mantle Street closed last year while the Jhoots pharmacy in Fore Street has been shut since September. Orange Pharmac

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taunton MP, Gideon Amos, has praised ‘resilient’ local businesses as data shows that new business registrations across Somerset, and...