Created in the 2023 boundary review, replacing Tiverton and Honiton.
Votes less often than 93% of MPs.
MP News Approval i
+71
Rachel Gilmour
Liberal DemocratsRachel Gilmour is the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance, devolution, and regulatory consultation. The excerpts focus on New Clause 20, which would require the Secretary of State to issue guidance (consulting chief medical officers and palliative/hospice care providers) and enable Welsh Ministers to issue guidance on devolved health matters.
MPs voted on whether to give the Tobacco and Vapes Bill its Second Reading, advancing legislation that would create a 'smoke-free generation' by progressively raising the legal age for buying tobacco so that anyone born after 2009 could never legally purchase cigarettes, while also cracking down on vaping among young people.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Tiverton and Minehead has been mixed for Rachel across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“South West Liberal Democrat councils lead the way on recycling” — Bridgwatermercury
“Liberal Democrat councils in the South West among country's best recyclers” — Somerset County Gaz
A new constituency created in the 2023 boundary review. Won by LD in its first election in 2024 by 7.4%. Covers Tiverton, Minehead and Williton. Population 91,305, notably older (median age 50 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 36% below the national average. Median income £26K (below average).
Curry house gets booze back after Home Office crackdown
Devon Live · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£25,500
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£33,600
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
4,720
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
50
40 primary, 6 secondary, 4 other
Total Income Tax▼
£223m
from 47,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,270
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£4,720
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
41.9
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
60.8%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
3 towns, 17 villages, rural areas — 91,909 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
29 councillors across 14 wards · Last elections: Jun 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canonsleigh | Green Party of England and Wales | Gill Westcott | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Jane Lock | May 2023 | |
| Clare Shuttern | Liberal Democrats | Chris Adcock | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Rachel Gilmour | May 2023 | |
| Dulverton Exmoor | Conservative and Unionist Party | Frances Mary Nicholson | May 2022 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Steven Pugsley | May 2022 | |
| Dunster | Conservative and Unionist Party | Christine Mary Lawrence | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | Marcus Kravis | May 2022 | |
| Halberton | Liberal Democrats | Gwen DuChesne | May 2023 |
| Lower Culm | Liberal Democrats | Andrea Theresa Glover | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Cathy Connor | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Lloyd Poynton | May 2023 | |
| Lydeard | Liberal Democrats | Andy Sully | May 2022 |
| Liberal Democrats | Mike Rigby | May 2022 | |
| Minehead | Conservative and Unionist Party | Andy Hadley | May 2022 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Mandy Jayne Chilcott | May 2022 | |
| Tiverton Castle | Liberal Democrats | Ben Holdman | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | David James Wulff | May 2023 | |
| Tiverton Cranmore | Liberal Democrats | Beckett Fish | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Lance Kennedy | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Les Cruwys | May 2023 | |
| Tiverton Lowman | Liberal Democrats | Andy Cuddy | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Gordon Dugald Thomson Czapiewski | May 2023 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Matt Farrell | May 2023 | |
| Tiverton Westexe | Liberal Democrats | Adam Stirling | Jun 2024 |
| Upper Culm | Liberal Democrats | Natasha Bradshaw | May 2023 |
| Liberal Democrats | Simon John Clist | May 2023 | |
| Watchet Stogursey | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Hugh John William Davies | May 2022 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Rosemary Woods | May 2022 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LD | 18,326 | 38.6% | |
Won 2019 GEWon 2017 GEWon 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 14,819 | 31.2% |
| Ref | 7,787 | 16.4% | |
| Lab | 4,325 | 9.1% | |
| Green | 2,234 | 4.7% |
Rachel Gilmour has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
11 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
Mumbai Kitchen on Tiverton's Bampton Street has regained its alcohol licence after it was revoked due to a Home Office crackdown on illegal workers. The restaurant faced multiple immigration enforcement visits finding undocumented workers, and the new licence comes with strict conditions requiring right-to-work checks and bi-monthly Home Office inspections.
Devon pharmacies face a staffing crisis causing closures and service disruptions, with a Tiverton survey showing 35% unable to buy over-the-counter medicines locally and 10% experiencing potential patient harm. Councillor Steve Lodge raised the issue at Devon County Council, highlighting systemic failures in funding and workforce that require government support.
Liberal Democrat-led councils in the South West, including Mid Devon District Council and Somerset Council which serve parts of the Tiverton and Minehead constituency, have achieved high recycling rates (57.9% and 55.5% respectively), significantly above the national average. Rachel Gilmour, the MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has credited Liberal Democrat leadership for these environmental successes and committed to further improvements.
Hall & Woodhouse is seeking planning permission to extensively refurbish the historic Old Ship Aground pub in Minehead, a grade II listed building on the South West Coast Path. The project aims to improve the pub's functionality and aesthetics, with Somerset Council expected to decide by late summer.
Butlin's, which operates a major resort in Minehead, is warning of potential job cuts (250 positions) and price increases due to rising costs including national insurance, minimum wage, and business rates. The company's CEO cautions that a proposed tourist tax could force resort closures during term time, impacting affordable family holidays.
Somerset Council completed roadworks to replace obsolete traffic signals at the Dunster Steep junction (connecting A39 and A396, key routes between Minehead, Williton, and Tiverton) ahead of schedule by early April. Local councillor Marcus Kravis and business owners reported significant traffic disruption during the January-April works, with Kravis calling for future major roadworks to be conducted at night to minimise impact on the community.
West Somerset residents could soon gain easier bus access to Musgrove Park Hospital through a simple change allowing routes 25 and 28 to stop at Market House in Taunton, enabling direct interchange to the hospital's park and ride service. The Somerset Bus Partnership has campaigned for this improvement, and Somerset Council has pledged support, though technical system updates need to be resolved by FirstBus.
A 200-home development in Cullompton (within Tiverton and Minehead constituency) is advancing despite local concerns about parking provision and road safety design. Mid Devon District Council's planning committee is set to approve the BDW Trading project on reserved matters, though the application has drawn scrutiny over whether driveways accessed directly from the spine road create pedestrian and cyclist hazards.
A Somerset councillor has demanded that future major roadworks on the A39 near Minehead should be conducted at night to minimize disruption, following months of significant traffic chaos from the recent Dunster Steep junction upgrade. The £1.5m cycle path extension to Carhampton was cancelled in December 2025, though the councillor continues advocating for its completion while acknowledging the need for less disruptive construction methods.
Butlin's CEO warns of cost pressures forcing 250 job cuts (7% of workforce) due to rising employer national insurance, minimum wage increases, and doubling business rates. The Minehead resort is specifically mentioned as one of only three remaining Butlin's sites, and the CEO warns that proposed tourist taxes could force seasonal closures, hitting families on tight budgets who use the chain's budget breaks.
Mitchell & Webber, a 130-year-old heating oil and fuel distributor with a depot in Tiverton, is expanding beyond traditional fossil fuels to offer renewable alternatives like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to rural South West communities. The article highlights the company's role in helping off-grid homes transition to lower-carbon heating options without costly system replacements.
A routine court reporting article listing offenders from Taunton and Minehead who appeared at Taunton Magistrates' Court in late March 2026, covering cases including theft, assault, driving offences, and criminal damage.
West Somerset Advice Bureau, a Citizens Advice charity serving the area for 48 years including an office in Minehead, is closing on April 30, 2026, due to a challenging funding environment and unsustainable rising costs. The bureau annually supports over 2,300 people and conducts approximately 200 outreach visits to vulnerable residents unable to access telephone or internet-based services.
Somerset Council is devolving management of eight green spaces in Street parish to Street Parish Council as part of a wider devolution deal across Somerset towns including Minehead. This follows Somerset Council's financial emergency declaration and aims to maintain local services while managing budget constraints.
The boss of Butlin's has criticised Labour's proposed holiday tax, warning it could double the cost of budget breaks and harm seaside economies including Minehead. He also raised concerns about rising business costs from National Insurance changes and minimum wage increases affecting holiday parks' ability to employ young workers.
Skye Owen, a 24-year-old sepsis survivor from Cornwall, is undertaking a 630-mile walk of the South West Coast Path starting from Minehead, Somerset, to raise awareness and funds for the UK Sepsis Trust. The walk aims to highlight the life-threatening condition that affects nearly 80,000 people annually in the UK and kills five people every hour.
Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, warned the government against imposing a tourism tax, arguing it could harm the hospitality sector and reduce visitor numbers in a region where tourism is critical to the economy. Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate, she emphasized that Exmoor's visitor economy supports two-thirds of employment and generates £682m in annual activity, and called for any levy to be hypothecated for local reinvestment.
A nostalgic retrospective on a 2008 charity rowathon held by West Somerset Community College students in Minehead, where they rowed to raise £1 per kilometre for an African school partnership. The event raised over £600 to support links with Buhemba Secondary School in Uganda.
Somerset has launched 'Accessible Coast', a new initiative providing leaflets and virtual tours to make coastal paths more accessible to visitors of all abilities. The project covers five key sections of the King Charles III England Coast Path including Minehead to Blue Anchor, with routes graded by accessibility level and detailed information on parking and facilities.
A social media influencer promotes the South West Coast Path, a 630-mile National Trail that starts in Minehead, Somerset, as a beautiful destination for weekend walks and daytrips. The article highlights the path's scenic coastal views and accessibility for various experience levels.
Wales & West Utilities plans a £1.2 million investment to upgrade over 6 kilometres of gas pipes in the Watchet and Williton areas of Somerset, benefiting approximately 700 customers. The year-long programme aims to improve gas safety, reliability, and prepare the network for greener gases in the future.
Three men from the Somerset area have been charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs under the Hunting Act 2004 following a police investigation into an event by The Vale of Taunton and Banwell Harriers Hunt. The case highlights ongoing enforcement of hunting laws in the region and occurs as the government consults on a potential ban on trail hunting.
Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, urged the government to carefully reconsider plans for a tourism tax, warning that it could harm the hospitality sector and reduce visitor numbers in a region where tourism is crucial to the economy. She advocated for any levy to be ringfenced for local reinvestment and paired with VAT reductions, while highlighting the challenges facing rural authorities like Somerset.
Paul Down, a 63-year-old lorry driver from Tiverton, has won a years-long legal battle to overturn a wrongful conviction for a driving offence on the M5 near Gloucester, using dashcam footage to prove his innocence. The case caused him severe financial hardship, depression, and suicidal ideation, and he is now pursuing compensation from the authorities.
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