SOMERSET voters now have a clear idea as to who will be campaigning for their vote when they go to the polls in the general election on July 4.

The major political parties, along with a number of independents, have been campaigning across Somerset since parliament was officially dissolved by King Charles III at the request of prime minister Rishi Sunak.

The coming weeks will see numerous visits to the West Country by senior politicians, posters and placards going up in every town and village, local hustings being organised where candidates can air their views on the big issues of the day.

Somerset Council has now confirmed the full list of candidates which will be standing on July 4.

This will be the first general election to be held on the new electoral boundaries, with the number of seats within the Somerset Council area rising from five to seven.

A total of 44 candidates are standing across the seven seats – including nine current council division members.

Four of Somerset’s previous MPs – Sarah Dyke, Marcus Fysh, Ian Liddell-Grainger and Rebecca Pow – are among those seeking election.

There are eight different candidates after your vote in North East Somerset and Hanham in the general election on July 4 — in what is likely to be one of the election’s most watched contests.

Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg is one of the biggest names in national politics, but two big names in local politics are after his seat. Dan Norris, who Mr Rees-Mogg unseated in 2010 and is now the West of England Metro Mayor, is hoping to win the seat back for Labour. Meanwhile, Dine Romero, the former leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, is the Liberal Democrat challenger.

Meanwhile the Greens, Reform, the Monster Raving Loony Party, and independent candidate Nicholas Hales are also standing in the seat.

This is the first general election where voters will need to take an accepted form of photo ID with them to vote at a polling station. It is also the first election with new constituency boundaries, which has seen the eastern half of the former North East Somerset constituency depart to join Frome and East Somerset, and Hanham join the remainder of North East Somerset to create this seat.

Here’s the full list of everyone standing in each of the new seats:

North East Somerset and Hanham

Barmy Brunch (The Monster Raving Loony Party)
Barmy Brunch (CREDIT: The Monster Raving Loony Party) (Barmy Brunch (CREDIT: The Monster Raving Loony Party))

  • Monster Raving Loony Party: Barmy Brunch

  • Green: Edmund Cannon

  • Independent: Nicholas Hales

  • Reform UK: Paul MacDonnell

  • Labour: Dan Norris

  • Conservative: Jacob Rees-Mogg

  • Liberal Democrat: Dine Romero

 

Bridgwater

Ashley Fox (The Conservative Party)
Ashley Fox (CREDIT: The Conservative Party) (Ashley Fox (CREDIT: The Conservative Party))

  • Pele Barnes (Independent, a.k.a Somerset United Party)

  • William Fagg (Reform UK)

  • Ashley Fox (Conservative)

  • Charles Graham (Green Party)

  • Leigh Redman (Labour) (currently division member for Bridgwater North and Central)

  • Claire Sully (Liberal Democrat) (currently division member for Mendip South)

  • Gregory Tanner (Workers Party of Britain)

Frome and East Somerset

Frome and East Somerset candidates
From left to right (top): Anna Sabine (Lib Dem), Gavin Heathcote (Independent), Lucy Trimnell (Conservative), Robin Moss (Labour). L to R (bottom): David Swain (Reform UK), Martin Dimery (Green), Shaun Hughes (Independent). ( )

  • Martin Dimery (Green Party) (currently division member for Frome West)

  • Gavin Heathcote (Independent)

  • Shaun Hughes (Independent)

  • Robin Moss (Labour)

  • Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat)

  • David Swain (Reform UK)

  • Lucy Trimnell (Conservative) (currently division member for Wincanton and Bruton)

Glastonbury and Somerton

Hal Hooberman (CREDIT: The Labour Party/Hal Hooberman)
Hal Hooberman (CREDIT: The Labour Party/Hal Hooberman) (Hal Hooberman (CREDIT: The Labour Party/Hal Hooberman))

  • Tom Carter (Reform UK)

  • Jon Cousins (Green Party)

  • Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat) (currently division member for Blackmoor Vale)

  • Hal Hooberman (Labour)

  • Faye Purbrick (Conservative) (currently division member for Yeovil South)

Taunton and Wellington

Ryan Trower (CREDIT: Who Can I Vote for?/Green Party)
Ryan Trower (CREDIT: Who Can I Vote for?/Green Party) (Ryan Trower (CREDIT: Who Can I Vote for?/Green Party))

  • Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat)

  • Charles Hansard (Reform UK)

  • Rebecca Pow (Conservative)

  • Rochelle Russell (Communist Party of Britain)

  • Ryan Trower (Green Party)

  • Brenda Weston (Labour)

Tiverton and Minehead

Jonathan Barter has launched his campaign to be Tiverton and Minehead's next MP
Jonathan Barter has launched his campaign to be Tiverton and Minehead's next MP (Jonathan Barter )

  • Jonathan Barter (Labour)

  • Laura Buchanan (Green Party)

  • Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat)

  • Fred Keen (Reform UK)

  • Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative)

Wells and Mendip Hills

Somerset County Cllr Tessa Munt has spoken about her experience of suffering sexual abuse as a child to mark Stop Child Exploitation Day
Tessa Munt (Tessa Munt)

  • Craig Clarke (Independent)

  • Helen Hims (Reform UK)

  • Joe Joseph (Labour)

  • Abi McGuire (Independent)

  • Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat) (currently division member for Wells)

  • Meg Powell-Chandler (Conservative)

  • Peter Welsh (Green Party)

Yeovil

Adam Dance (The Liberal Democrats)
Adam Dance (CREDIT: The Liberal Democrats) (Adam Dance (The Liberal Democrats))

  • Steve Ashton (Independent) (currently division member for Crewkerne

  • Laura Bailhache (Reform UK)

  • Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat) (currently division member for South Petherton and Islemoor)

  • Marcus Fysh (Conservative)

  • Rebecca Montacute (Labour)

  • Serena Wootton (Green Party)

Bath

Wera Hobhouse MP
(Wera Hobhouse)

  • A.N.ON

  • Workers Party: Matthew Alford

  • Labour: Dan Bewley

  • Independent: Colin Blackburn

  • Independent: Bill Blockhead

  • Reform UK: Theresa Hall

  • Liberal Democrat: Wera Hobhouse

  • Green: Dominic Tristram

  • Conservative: James Wright

 

Residents have until Tuesday, June 18 to register to vote via www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. You have until 5pm on Wednesday, June 19 to apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote.

This is the first general election at which voters must also show valid voter ID if planning to vote in person at a polling station.

Accepted forms if ID include a passport, driving licence, or an older person’s bus pass.

You can still use your photo ID if it is out of date, if it looks like you. The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

Those without the necessary ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate (VAC) – the deadline is 5pm on Wednesday, June 26.