WE are writing to protest at the rules issued by the Conservative government to the Boundary Commission which have led to the proposal to cut off significant parts of Taunton into a Devon based parliamentary constituency of Tiverton and Minehead.

Their intention, by instructing the commission to make MPs’ constituencies smaller, is to reduce the number of seats in urban areas (where there just happen to be fewer Conservatives), while increasing them in more rural locations.

People in whole areas that have always been part of our Taunton community – from Bishops Lydeard and Oake to Norton Fitzwarren and those living in town all the way up to the Staplegrove Road/Greenway Road roundabout - will all be amazed to learn they are to be represented by the MP for Tiverton!

It is bad enough that villages outside Taunton, who nonetheless feel part of it, are to be hived off in this way, but for people living in the town, and particularly in Staplegrove and Norton Fitzwarren, this is totally unacceptable.

Taunton Deane Liberal Democrats are working on our response to this consultation but one thing is for sure: we will be opposing the idea of people living in Taunton no longer having a Taunton MP to represent them. 

READ MORE: Somerset could get NEW MPs under boundary changes 
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Readers who want to send their comments to us please write to Freepost Liberal Democrats for Taunton Deane or email us at partyorganiser@tdld.org.uk 

Taunton is already experiencing upheaval after Conservatives forced through a council merger with West Somerset (wasting £10m in the process), while at the same time planning yet another merger, this time the much-vaunted unitary council idea.

Do they not think it would be a good idea to coordinate their boundary changing? 

The victory of the new Lib Dem MP for Chesham and Amersham over the Conservatives shows that they can no longer rely on voters to do what they tell them, so let’s now agree that our town needs an MP who in future represents the whole of Taunton. 

As Lib Dem representatives, we are keen to listen to your views and take action to support and protect the integrity of our local community. 

GIDEON AMOS 
Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Taunton Deane and
DIXIE DARCH, ED FIRMIN AND ANDY SULLY, JOHN HASSALL, MIKE RIGBY
Somerset West & Taunton Lib Dem councillors