Rachel Gilmour MP could have voted to stop tax rises. Should she apologise? Tuesday, 16 December, 2025 Members of Parliament are elected to represent their constituents and to vote on the issues that affect everyday lives. When MPs abstain, they choose not to take a position, even when the consequences are higher taxes for families, farmers and local businesses. Rachel Gilmour MP failed to vote against a parliamentary amendment that would have stopped the Family Farm Tax and stealth tax rises. That... Local News
Bus Users Slapped with £500 'New Year Penalty' as Fare Cap Ends 11th December 2025 A rural campaigner has warned that the upcoming hike in the bus fare cap will act as a "tax on isolation" for West Somerset & Mid Devon, hitting the region’s... Local News
Labour’s New Tourism Tax Will Hit Rural Economies Hard 4th December 2025 The Budget has handed local authorities the power to introduce a new Tourism Tax on every overnight stay in England, including cottages, B&Bs, farm stays, small... Local News
Tell Somerset Council. Release the Impact Assessments on the B3191 Closure 22nd November 2025 Somerset Council has decided to permanently close the B3191 at Cleeve Hill, cutting off a vital coastal route for communities in Watchet, Blue Anchor, Old... Local News
Liberal Democrat MP Abstains on Vote to Stop Further Tax Rises 16th November 2025 Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Minehead, abstained in Parliament last week (12th November) on a motion calling on the Government to rule... Local News
'Shameful Behaviour’ Somerset Council Slammed Over Coastal Road Decision 10th November 2025 Somerset Council has confirmed its decision to permanently close the B3191 at Cleeve Hill, Watchet, a vital coastal route, despite receiving more than 1,000... Local News
Liberal Democrats and Labour vote against protection for farmland from solar in the South West 4th November 2025 Liberal Democrat and Labour peers have voted against plans to protect Britain’s best farmland from being turned into industrial-scale solar developments. In a... Local News
Campaigners Sound Alarm Over Wimbleball Reservoir 27th October 2025 Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor, which supplies water to more than 300,000 homes and businesses across the South West, is now only a third full, prompting... Local News
James Wright meets UKHospitality chief as job losses mount across pubs, restaurants and the high-street 20th October 2025 Britain’s hospitality industry is in crisis warn experts. Since the last Budget, more than 69,000 jobs have been lost, with venues closing at a rate not seen... Local News
Axing Stamp Duty Would Put £3,500 Back in the Pocket of Local Families, Says James Wright 14th October 2025 Families across West Somerset and Mid Devon could save an average of £3,500 if the Conservative plan to scrap Stamp Duty goes ahead, freeing up the housing... Local News
