Dear Editor,

I am writing to encourage new residents to come and share in our caring community at the Old Vicarage.

The variety of studios and one-bedroom flats are just right for those older people who are seeking a private and safe sheltered environment with safety alarms and a caring staff team so you need never feel alone or at risk.

If you wish for privacy in a sheltered environment this is the place for you.

However, if you enjoy a sense of community with friendly residents and fun activities these are always on offer.

Special events are marked by barbecues and garden parties with the house decked out with bunting and celebratory flags.

With a staff team of exceptional quality providing outstanding care, delicious meals, and a friendly house with beautiful old-established gardens there is something for everybody at the Old Vicarage.

Marion B. Killick

Old Vicarage

Wellington

Dear Editor,

Thank you for publishing my letter concerning flags.

After reading the front page on the town council’s view in this week's issue, my impression of these councillors is a body of people with a lack of initiative, creativity and imagination.

On the bus into Taunton last week, sat with her mother, a little girl expressed “Look - more flags; six, seven”, as she continued to count. For me, this was one of those “heart stopping” moments as it reminded me of the kids' at Christmas time when the lights get switched on.

When I arrived in Taunton I stepped out of M&S and looked right to the sight of flags strung across the street from SpecSavers down (photo attached)

The flags may be “haphazard” but to me they are uplifting and inspirational.

The town council’s cup is not half full it’s almost empty - somebody needs to give them a top up.

Many thanks,

Joyce Dobby

Wellington

Dear Editor,

I have received the latest mail-shot from Rachel Gilmour, the Member of Parliament for Minehead and Tiverton Constituency (which now includes Wiveliscombe), “reporting back to you on my first year as your MP”.

In 2016, and thereafter, the Liberal Democrats revealed themselves to be, neither, ‘liberal’, nor ‘democratic’. They withheld ‘loser consent’, following a well-prepared, democratic, referendum. In a democracy, you only get to withhold ‘loser consent’ once. For that marks the end of democracy.

In her ‘report’ every matter reported on is parochial. Do not the people of Somerset and Devon have any international concerns? Are they not to be concerned about migrants entering this country? Are they not to be concerned about increasing congestion everywhere we go? Are they not to be concerned about an increasingly overloaded national welfare infrastructure; to which they have contributed all of their working lives? Are they not to be concerned about what is being taught to their children?

Mrs Gilmour also provides a bar-chart, to demonstrate that – when people abandon the Tories in this region – they vote Liberal Democrat: not Labour. What Mrs Gilmour forgets is that the electorate of this country is increasingly aware that we have one task ahead of us now: to compel our globalist King to have to summon Mr Nigel Farage to form a government in his name.

The Liberal Democrats form part of our ‘Uni-Party’ globalist parliament. And how many of your readers are impressed with the buffoonish ‘leader’ of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey?

Sincere regards,

Mark Dyer

Wiveliscombe

Dear Editor,

A recent headline read: “Council to spend up to £20-million for advice on how to save money.” The first public comment summed it up: “I can tell them how to save £20-million.”

When Somerset Council was created in April 2023, the Liberal Democrat executive inherited £800-million of debt and was tasked with saving £18.5-million annually. That should have been the priority. Instead, there was no merger planning after May 2022, and 300 staff have only just left to balance the budget. Retaining experienced staff took second place to initiatives such as My Life My Future. Simple, early steps like requiring managers to run wider areas, could have saved money without delay.

An experienced councillor has described this as “incompetence and mismanagement” through failure to focus on real issues, act on advice, act decisively, and keep essential personnel.

Now the council proposes a “Modern Data and AI Council.” Yet even a government trial of Microsoft Copilot showed no productivity gain. At a time of near-bankruptcy, this is no moment to experiment with expensive new systems and consultants. If AI is genuinely useful, the council can use existing tools without external contracts or new IT.

Other councils show what could have been done. Wiltshire’s unitary merger 15 years ago has probably saved £200-million. Somerset could have “copied and pasted” their model. Instead, £1.5-million is already being spent with Newton Consulting, ironically close to the £1.6-million Birmingham has paid for government commissioners.

Residents are entitled to clear answers. The repeated use of the word “capacity” in transformation papers suggests that this £20-million Inspiring Innovation programme is little more than a smokescreen to rehire some staff recently let go, while avoiding the practical restructuring that should have begun in June 2022.

Liberal Democrat councillors must focus on debt, core services, and immediate savings—not consultants, not experiments, and not delay.

Chris Mann

Taunton