Somerset’s Members of Parliament have united to press the central government for additional funding aimed at preventing an 11% rise in council tax. The Somerset Council is set to finalize its budget on February 25, facing a daunting £73 million shortfall fueled by increased demand for essential local services.
On January 7, the council’s executive committee submitted provisional figures proposing council tax increases of up to 10.99% for 2026/27 — a move that would align Somerset’s rates with neighboring West Country councils.
In response, six of Somerset’s seven MPs met with local government minister Alison McGovern on January 13 to advocate for extra core funding. The delegation included five Liberal Democrat MPs—Gideon Amos (Taunton and Wellington), Adam Dance (Yeovil), Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton), Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead), and Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset)—as well as Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater). MP Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) was unable to attend.
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The MPs had already expressed dissatisfaction with the December 2025 local government funding settlement, labeling it “profoundly disappointing.” Following their meeting, the five Lib Dem MPs issued a joint statement emphasizing the pressures Somerset faces and condemning the proposed tax hikes amidst a cost-of-living crisis.
They criticized the government for imposing “an unaffordable increase” on residents still reeling from financial strains and the council’s past mismanagement under the previous Conservative-led administration. If approved, this 11% increase would mark the second year running the council exceeds the 4.99% referendum threshold, after a 7.49% rise last year.
The MPs urged the government to revise the fair funding formula to better address rural challenges. They highlighted that Somerset, the fifth largest council by land area in England, suffers greatly from the removal of the ‘remoteness uplift’—a funding mechanism recognizing the extra costs of serving sparsely populated areas. They also called for reimbursement of £11 million lost through business rates reform and emphasized the strain caused by reductions in the public health budget.
Minister McGovern listened attentively and invited further detailed submissions on health and care costs. Despite this, the MPs remain concerned the Labour government lacks a full grasp of the difficulties rural communities face and stressed the urgent need for higher, year-on-year central government funding to sustain vital frontline services.
Somerset Council currently allocates about two-thirds of its budget to care for vulnerable children and adults, leaving fewer resources for highways, planning, waste collection, and other essential functions. Although Baroness Casey’s commissioned report on adult social care funding reform is expected later this year, with implementation not until 2028, the council cannot shoulder further cuts or rely solely on ongoing transformation efforts.
The MPs revealed that the council has already cut over 700 jobs this year but continues to grapple with raising care demands amid constrained funding. They vowed to keep advocating for a better funding settlement so that local taxpayers do not have to compensate for the deficiencies in government care funding.
While Sir Ashley Fox expressed alignment with calls for better funding, he also criticized the council’s financial management, cautioning against wasteful spending. His remarks follow recent scrutiny of the council’s handling of projects like Glastonbury’s Life Factory and repeated auditor warnings about slow progress in service delivery improvements.
Fox stated, “I’ll fight for a better deal from government, but I’ll also urge councillors to stop wasting public money and improve their management.”
The council plans to release detailed budget proposals by the end of January, ahead of the full council meeting in Bridgwater on February 25 to approve the budget.