Taunton & Wellington / data
Gideon Amos · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
376
of 504 possible
Attendance
75%
128 absent / paired
Whip alignment
96%
vs party majority
Speeches
327
118 debates
Written Qs
164
160 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£230k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 232 claims
Interests
8
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 77 | |
| Economy | 69 | |
| Employment | 40 | |
| Crime & Policing | 34 | |
| Education | 33 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 27 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 22 | |
| Pensions | 21 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 47 | 47,517 |
| Local Government | 58 | 43,888 |
| Environment | 24 | 34,808 |
| Economy Jobs | 39 | 12,462 |
| Energy | 5 | 7,442 |
| Cost Of Living | 17 | 6,842 |
| Fiscal Policy | 14 | 6,192 |
| Social Care | 19 | 6,190 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
| Date | Division | Whip | MP voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2025 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill aims to create a 'smokefree generation' by graduall… | Rebelled | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 94Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have voluntarily st… | Free vote | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dyin… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 2026 | Housing Needs: Young PeopleIt is a pleasure to serve under you in the Chair, Ms Butler. My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) was the driving force behind securing this debate, the … HousingEconomy JobsSocial Care | 1,255 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseAnyone who attended the national emergency briefing on 27 November, as I did, could not help being captivated by the international expertise on show about the effects of the climat… DefenceLocal GovernmentHealth | 110 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | NHS Federated Data PlatformDoes my hon. Friend agree that the key issue, as raised by the hon. Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell), is accountability to this House for these contracts? Big contracts ca… HealthTechnologyEconomy Jobs | 60 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillWill the Minister confirm for the record that the ban on mobile phones in schools will not extend to alternative and augmentative communication devices? Laura in Taunton has put th… EducationTechnologyHealth | 67 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI congratulate my hon. Friend on her work on this issue. She is right that age classifications that tackle the social media companies, rather than going after children and their ri… EducationTechnologyHealth | 80 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillThe hon. Gentleman speaks to the language delays that are created by these apps. Does he agree that the fact that these additional needs are going to come into the system on top of… EducationTechnologyHealth | 70 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Crime and Policing BillI rise to speak mainly about Lords amendment 333 on illegal trading, but I share the concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) and the hon. Member for Mi… CrimeTechnologyCulture Community | 829 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Draft Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026It is relevant because the regulations address the Grenfell tragedy. It is worth placing on record that the Reform spokesperson’s comment that, “everyone dies in the end”, is a tot… Housing | 234 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Draft Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026It is a pleasure to serve on the Committee with you in the Chair, Sir Edward. I am forced to agree with the hon. Member for Orpington—it does not come easily—about the Reform party… Housing | 78 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Transport Accessibility for Disabled PeopleIt is appropriate to take part in this debate on what is National Epilepsy Day. I am grateful to the Chair of the Transport Committee, the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (… TransportSocial Care | 984 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Household Energy BillsAs a former member of the zero carbon homes task force, I well remember the Conservatives cancelling the zero carbon homes programme—presumably they want homes to be colder, more d… EnergyCost Of LivingFiscal Policy | 118 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Household Energy BillsDespite solar and wind being freely available, only 15% of renewables are subject to contracts for difference, which effectively control prices. Given that the conflict in the midd… EnergyCost Of LivingFiscal Policy | 69 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Women’s Safety in Rural AreasIt is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Frome and East Somerset (Anna Sabine) on securing this debate and making a po… HousingCrimeLocal Government | 914 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Rural RoadsI congratulate the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Stuart Anderson) on securing this debate. This has been a year of records for Taunton, Somerset and the Somerset levels: the En… TransportLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 172 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsGiven the massive immigration tribunal backlog left by the previous Government, would it not make more sense to lift the cap on non-salaried tribunal judges who are already recruit… CrimeImmigrationHousing | 48 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 48 | 29.3% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 18 | 11.0% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 15 | 9.1% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 15 | 9.1% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 11 | 6.7% |
| Ministry of Defence | 10 | 6.1% |
| Ministry of Justice | 10 | 6.1% |
| Department for Education | 8 | 4.9% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of levels in the availability of (a) anti-aircraft artillery, (b) electronic warfare, (c) low-cost interceptors and (d) other off-the-shelf mobile air defence systems. | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s processes for drivers with medical conditions; and what assessment she has made of the potential mer… | Pending |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what targeted guidance is available to medically vulnerable people who cannot safely reduce their heating use. | Pending |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that GOV.UK websites provide accessible digital services. | Pending |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department last reviewed the income thresholds for the Healthy Start scheme, and whether it will conduct an updated review given concerns that thresholds have not been revis… | Answered |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Department has assessed the potential merits of extending Healthy Start eligibility to include working parents in receipt of Statutory Paternity Pay. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Religious Education Council’s Task and Finish Group on the development of the proposed Programmes of Study for a potential National Curriculum for… | Answered |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to energy infrastructure planning application fees on (a) network operator costs and (b) con… | Answered |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that network operators do not bear the cost of the necessary wayleave process when landowners serve notices to remove electricity… | Answered |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Minister for Housing’s statement during the final Commons debate on the Renters’ Rights Bill that the Government intends to establish an alte… | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has assessed the financial and social impact of PSVAR compliance on local authorities. | Answered |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of roadside litter due to littering from vehicles; and what consideration her Department has given to (a) the lev… | Answered |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the contribution of littering from vehicles to roadside litter; and what consideration her Department has given to the adequac… | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Home Office | To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to a longer period… | Answered |
| 05 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the she is taking to help support the rescue and rehoming of mutilated animals. | Answered |
E · Committees
No committee memberships recorded for this MP.
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 173 | 28,630 | 12.4% |
| Staffing | 14 | 168,753 | 73.3% |
| Accommodation | 29 | 16,476 | 7.2% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 8,036 | 3.5% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 7,899 | 3.4% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 537 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 3 | 15,450 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 23 | 11,630 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 7 | 9,612 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 14 | 7,096 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 2 | 4,900 |
| Rent | Accommodation | 4 | 4,789 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 83 | 3,989 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 14 | 2,830 |
| Training - staff | Office Costs | 9 | 2,250 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 9 | 1,800 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 19 | 1,401 |
| Postage & couriers | Office Costs | 8 | 320 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Jul 2025 | Staffing Pooled staffing services | Parliamentary Support Team (Liberal Democrat) | 2,450 | Paid |
| 03 Jul 2025 | Staffing Pooled staffing services | Parliamentary Support Team (Liberal Democrat) | 2,450 | Paid |
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | CHARACTER GRAPHICS LTD [200011972-1] | 410 | Paid |
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Training - staff | ELECTED TECHNOLOGIES [200011972-2] | 250 | Paid |
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Training - staff | ELECTED TECHNOLOGIES [200011972-3] | 250 | Paid |
| 02 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Training - staff | ELECTED TECHNOLOGIES [200011972-0] | 250 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 2,400 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 65 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,211 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -2,400 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 4,845 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 4,845 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Website hosting and design | WIX.COM [***] [200011725-8046] | 23 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 223 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Sundries | 285 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011725-8344] | 70 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 2,000 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 559 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
18 Nov 2025
Name of donor: Parliamentary Renewable & Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Secretariat for the APPG for Renewable & Sustainable Energy
Address of donor: PRASEG, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0DX
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Estimate of the probable value: Accommodation, return flights, subsistence, value £808
Destination of visit: Denmark (Copenhagen)
Dates of visit: 23 October 2025 to 24 October 2025
Purpose of visit: APPG visit to high-level meetings and site visits in Copenhagen cross-channel cooperation for decarbonising heat and energy.
(Registered 4 November 2025)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital2 entries
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: French Weir Affordable Homes LLP
(Registered 1 August 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: AEC Ltd
Nature of business: Chartered Architects & Town Planners
(Registered 1 August 2024)
8. Miscellaneous5 entries
16 Aug 2024
Chartered Town Planner Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 31 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Army Cadet Force - Adult Instructor.
(Registered 29 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Chartered Architect Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 31 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Partner of French Weir Affordable Homes LLP.
(Registered 26 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Director of AEC Ltd.
(Registered 1 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 10 wards, 20 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishops Hull Taunton West | Caroline Ellis | Liberal Democrats | 1,646 | 05 May 2022 |
| Bishops Hull Taunton West | John Hunt | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,835 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blackdown Neroche | Ross Longhurst Henley | Liberal Democrats | 1,891 | 05 May 2022 |
| Blackdown Neroche | Sarah Wakefield | Liberal Democrats | 1,701 | 05 May 2022 |
| Comeytrowe Trull | Dawn Johnson | Liberal Democrats | 2,216 | 05 May 2022 |
| Comeytrowe Trull | Habib Farbahi | Liberal Democrats | 2,219 | 05 May 2022 |
| Monkton North Curry | David Fothergill | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,776 | 05 May 2022 |
| Monkton North Curry | Norman Cavill | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,698 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rowbarton Staplegrove | Derek Aneurin Perry | Liberal Democrats | 1,378 | 05 May 2022 |
| Rowbarton Staplegrove | Dixie Darch | Liberal Democrats | 1,627 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton East | Federica Smith-Roberts | Liberal Democrats | 1,183 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton East | Simon Coles | Liberal Democrats | 1,190 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton North | Lee Baker | Liberal Democrats | 1,073 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton North | Tom Deakin | Liberal Democrats | 1,072 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton South | Fran Smith | Liberal Democrats | 1,613 | 05 May 2022 |
| Taunton South | Hazel Prior-Sankey | Liberal Democrats | 1,945 | 05 May 2022 |
| Upper Tone | Dave Mansell | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,687 | 05 May 2022 |
| Upper Tone | Gwil Wren | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,487 | 05 May 2022 |
| Wellington | Andy Govier | Labour Party | 1,809 | 05 May 2022 |
| Wellington | Marcus Trevor Barr | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,241 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 109,619 | Electorate 78,680 (2024) |
| Median age | 44 | years |
| Degree-educated | 33.0% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 94.5% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 65.5% | households |
| Private-rented | 18.5% | households |
| Social-rented | 15.8% | households |
| Employment rate | 58.6% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.