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From left, Gideon Amos MP, Matthew Pennycook MP, Cllr Habib Farbahi and Cllr Mike Rigby. A delegation from Taunton travelled to London for talks with Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, on how essential infrastructure can be delivered in the county town. It follows the development of 2,000 new homes at Orchard Grove and national government targets for further major housing growth in Somerset. The meeting was arranged by Gideon Amos MP who was accompanied by Somerset Council’

Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, challenged the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, to extend the rollout of solar panels to car parks and warehouse during a Parliamentary debate yesterday (Tuesday). Following a Liberal Democrat Private Member's Bill, new Building Regulations were published this week requiring developers to fit solar panels as standard on all new houses that are built.  Mr Amos, the party’s spokesperson for housing and communities, is backing their campai

A Health Minister has agreed to meet Taunton’s MP Gideon Amos to discuss bringing forward a new maternity and paediatric unit for Musgrove Park Hospital. The unit has been included in the government’s funding programme – but isn’t scheduled to happen until 2033. Mr Amos has been campaigning for the work to be brought forward and raised the issue in Parliament during a Westminster Hall debate on NHS capital spending. He described the “dire state” of the current maternity unit.

A huge hike in business rates for a Taunton garden centre was highlighted in Parliament yesterday (Tuesday). Local MP Gideon Amos was speaking in reply to the Spring Statement by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. He said: “Monkton Elm Garden Centre, with its 400-cover restaurant employing 120 staff, has been hit by a £70,000 increase in its business rates this year as part of £178,000 in costs put on by the last Budget. “If the Government will not accept the 5% cut in VAT that t

Gideon Amos MP says he has “serious concerns” about proposed reforms to Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support, a view shared by local campaigners and SEND advocates in Taunton and Wellington. The Department for Education has set out its vision for SEND and around £4 billion of extra funding over the next three years in a white paper published earlier this week which includes the proposed reducing the use of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) apart from

Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, has challenged the Prime Minister to recognise Somerset’s 'remoteness factor' in its funding settlement from the government. This 'remoteness factor' is designed to compensate rural councils for the significantly higher cost of delivering vital services including waste collection, social care workers, and transport to SEND schools across a huge area with a spread-out population, as well as maintaining and filling potholes for the vast

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

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

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

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

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

Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has demanded a radical overhaul of the support available to children and adults with special...

Three key infrastructure projects are urgently needed to support the expansion of the Orchard Grove development on the west side of...