Tiverton & Minehead / data
Rachel Gilmour · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
213
of 504 possible
Attendance
42%
291 absent / paired
Whip alignment
99%
vs party majority
Speeches
237
115 debates
Written Qs
236
235 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£177k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 145 claims
Interests
6
4 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 46 | |
| Economy | 36 | |
| Crime & Policing | 30 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 21 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 18 | |
| Planning | 14 | |
| Housing | 14 | |
| Employment | 13 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 37 | 6,024 |
| Local Government | 30 | 4,965 |
| Defence | 16 | 4,204 |
| Social Care | 31 | 4,140 |
| Health | 20 | 4,119 |
| Environment | 11 | 2,824 |
| Education | 14 | 2,671 |
| Cost Of Living | 15 | 2,616 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 2Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance,… | Free vote | Aye |
| 26 Nov 2024 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Second ReadingMPs voted on whether to give the Tobacco and Vapes Bill its Second Reading, advancing legislation that would create a 'smoke-free generation… | Free vote | No |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | National ResilienceNot long ago, a Russian-flagged ship anchored just two miles off the Minehead coast in my constituency, directly above critical transatlantic cables. Our adversaries are becoming e… DefenceTechnologyEconomy Jobs | 116 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | National Resilience11. What steps he is taking to improve national resilience. DefenceTechnologyEconomy Jobs | 10 |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Security VettingWe know that MI6’s finding last September that Mandelson had compromising business interests was accurate—I mentioned it myself on 15 September 2025. He failed his security vetting… Mp PerformanceDefence | 125 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Gurkha VeteransI commend my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Tewkesbury (Cameron Thomas) for bringing forward the debate, and for his wonderful and kind introduction to so many of his Gurkh… DefenceSocial CareCost Of Living | 460 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)I would find it very difficult to have a conscience that has been as traumatised as yours. | 17 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)Oh well, never mind. | 4 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)To tide you over. | 4 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)What website is designed to crash? [Laughter.] | 7 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)Is there a zero option? | 5 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)He’s dying. | 2 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Craniocervical InstabilityIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. I thank the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury), who I would also be proud to call my hon. Friend, for bring… HealthSocial Care | 545 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)This Committee is called the Public Accounts Committee. For a moment, I would like you to think about it as the public accountability Committee. I noticed that you had been in the … | 102 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)Good. | 1 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Proposed Visitor LevyIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. As everyone knows, Tiverton and Minehead is the most beautiful constituency in the country, and I am privileged to rep… Economy JobsFiscal PolicyLocal Government | 500 |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (2026-03-23)I suppose nothing good has come out of the Ukrainian war, or Putin’s illegal invasion, except for the fact that the Ukrainians have really led the way in defence innovation and tec… | 80 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 67 | 28.4% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 40 | 16.9% |
| Department for Education | 24 | 10.2% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 21 | 8.9% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 20 | 8.5% |
| Treasury | 16 | 6.8% |
| Department for Transport | 9 | 3.8% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 7 | 3.0% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data from local authorities on the reasons why Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 is applied. | Pending |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of embedding a cross-governmental approach to young people who go missing. | Answered |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of stock levels of propanolol 80mg and 160mg modified release capsules until July 2026 on (i) patient outcomes and (ii… | Answered |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the costs of expanding the rural fuel duty relief scheme to cover all of Tiverton and Minehead constituency. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out how the National Cancer Plan for England will reduce barriers to innovative and life extending treatments for people with secondary breast cancer when those treatm… | Answered |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the administration of the Tier 2 NHS Pension Scheme, particularly in relation to retirement dates and the clarity of communications reg… | Answered |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the ability of rural communities to contact emergency services in the event of a prolonged power cut following BT’s move from copper landl… | Answered |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of the UK’s readiness for war. | Answered |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates model on rural pubs that have been rescued and are operated by volunteers in local communities; and what steps she is taking… | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding allocated for research into chronic pain disorders. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider the merits of the development of an environmental quality standard for water for either Fipronil or Imidacloprid. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Access to Work Scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis in employment. | Answered |
| 25 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of NHS-funded programmes for pain management, with particular relevance to those designed for chronic pain conditions. | Answered |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science and Technology about the potential for a respiratory Modern Service Framework to strengthen the UK’s life scie… | Answered |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in the Tiverton an… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Accounts CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
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 | 102 | 23,979 | 13.5% |
| Accommodation | 23 | 18,343 | 10.3% |
| Staffing | 2 | 121,827 | 68.7% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 5,400 | 3.0% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 7,800 | 4.4% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 7 | 16,708 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 10 | 5,549 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,900 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 4 | 3,762 |
| Equipment - hire | Office Costs | 1 | 2,024 |
| Mobile telephone - equipment purchase | Office Costs | 5 | 1,875 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 17 | 1,796 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 7 | 1,658 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 33 | 1,459 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 2 | 1,440 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 1 | 1,346 |
| Recruitment Services &Costs | Office Costs | 1 | 1,198 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Gas | 36 | Paid |
| 22 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Water | 6 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 63 | Paid |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011798-364] | 160 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 3,750 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -3,750 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - hire | Office furniture | 2,024 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 138 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Gas | 39 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Water | 6 | Paid |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 17 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 60 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011798-363] | 13 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 6 | Paid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Subletting | Sublet Rent | 0 | Repaid |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Subletting | Sublet Rent | 0 | Repaid |
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.
1. Employment and earnings2 entries
16 Mar 2026
Remuneration: £500 a month
From: 5 July 2024. Until: 14 March 2025.
Hours: 40 hrs a month estimated hours worked
Donated to: a charity
(Registered 24 July 2024)
19 Feb 2025
Role, work or services: District Councillor
Until: 14 March 2025.
Payer: Mid Devon District Council (Local Government), Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6PP
(Registered 24 July 2024; updated 13 November 2025)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources1 entry
16 Oct 2024
Name of donor: The National Liberal Club
Address of donor: 1 Whitehall Place SW1
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Free membership of TNLC for 18 months, value £1,675.85
Date received: 9 July 2024 to 31 December 2025
Date accepted: 20 July 2024
Donor status: other (Members' Club)
(Registered 3 October 2024)
4. Visits outside the UK2 entries
24 Mar 2026
Name of donor: UK Friends of Ukraine
Address of donor: 62 Lots Road, London SW10 0DQ
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Meals and hospitality (£127.81), excursion (£46.15) and rail transfers (£224.03), value £398
Destination of visit: Ukraine (Kyiv, Odessa, Pripyat, Chisinau (Moldova))
Dates of visit: 19 February 2026 to 25 February 2026
Purpose of visit: Attend the Yalta European Strategy Conference, fostering good relations between UK and Ukraine MPs.
(Registered 13 March 2026)
04 Nov 2025
Name of donor: UK Friends of Ukraine
Address of donor: 81 High Street, Cosham, Portsmouth PO6 3BL
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): YES Conference pass, accommodation, internal travel and meals, value £768.04
Destination of visit: Ukraine
Dates of visit: 10 September 2025 to 15 September 2025
Purpose of visit: Parliamentary delegation to attend YES Conference and build relationship with Ukrainian allies.
(Registered 27 October 2025)
6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year1 entry
08 Oct 2025
Type of land/property: Residential property (Semi detached cottage)
Number of properties: 1
Location: Bampton
Interest held: from 17 May 2025
Rental income: from 27 May 2025
(Registered 1 October 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 14 wards, 29 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canonsleigh | Gill Westcott | Green Party of England and Wales | 521 | 04 May 2023 |
| Canonsleigh | Jane Lock | Liberal Democrats | 786 | 04 May 2023 |
| Clare Shuttern | Chris Adcock | Liberal Democrats | 787 | 04 May 2023 |
| Clare Shuttern | Rachel Gilmour | Liberal Democrats | 732 | 04 May 2023 |
| Dulverton Exmoor | Frances Mary Nicholson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 2,072 | 05 May 2022 |
| Dulverton Exmoor | Steven Pugsley | Conservative and Unionist Party | 2,157 | 05 May 2022 |
| Dunster | Christine Mary Lawrence | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,371 | 05 May 2022 |
| Dunster | Marcus Kravis | Liberal Democrats | 1,332 | 05 May 2022 |
| Halberton | Gwen DuChesne | Liberal Democrats | 360 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lower Culm | Andrea Theresa Glover | Liberal Democrats | 814 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lower Culm | Cathy Connor | Liberal Democrats | 722 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lower Culm | John Lloyd Poynton | Liberal Democrats | 673 | 04 May 2023 |
| Lydeard | Andy Sully | Liberal Democrats | 1,557 | 05 May 2022 |
| Lydeard | Mike Rigby | Liberal Democrats | 1,975 | 05 May 2022 |
| Minehead | Andy Hadley | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,066 | 05 May 2022 |
| Minehead | Mandy Jayne Chilcott | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,274 | 05 May 2022 |
| Tiverton Castle | Ben Holdman | Liberal Democrats | 553 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Castle | David James Wulff | Liberal Democrats | 532 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Cranmore | Beckett Fish | Liberal Democrats | 463 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Cranmore | Lance Kennedy | Liberal Democrats | 445 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Cranmore | Les Cruwys | Liberal Democrats | 606 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Lowman | Andy Cuddy | Liberal Democrats | 574 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Lowman | Gordon Dugald Thomson Czapiewski | Liberal Democrats | 455 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Lowman | Matt Farrell | Liberal Democrats | 405 | 04 May 2023 |
| Tiverton Westexe | Adam Stirling | Liberal Democrats | 431 | 20 Jun 2024 |
| Upper Culm | Natasha Bradshaw | Liberal Democrats | 807 | 04 May 2023 |
| Upper Culm | Simon John Clist | Liberal Democrats | 814 | 04 May 2023 |
| Watchet Stogursey | Hugh John William Davies | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 890 | 05 May 2022 |
| Watchet Stogursey | Rosemary Woods | Conservative and Unionist Party | 841 | 05 May 2022 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 91,305 | Electorate 72,087 (2024) |
| Median age | 50 | years |
| Degree-educated | 30.6% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 98.1% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 67.4% | households |
| Private-rented | 18.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 13.8% | households |
| Employment rate | 53.8% | 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.