THE MPs for Wellington and West Somerset were among six from Somerset who on Tuesday (January 13) urged local government Minister Alison McGovern to take steps to prevent a potential 11 per cent council tax rise.

They met in Parliament and were told by Ms McGovern that she would consider their proposals and respond as soon as possible.

The delegation included Lib Dem’s Gideon Amos and Rachel Gilmour, and Conservative Sir Ashley Fox.

The Lib Dems had written to the Minister, describing the government’s provisional funding settlement for Somerset as “profoundly disappointing.”

The five Liberal Democrat MPs issued a joint a statement after the meeting, saying: “The provisional financial settlement for Somerset is a Labour government bombshell in which they look set to force an 11 per cent Council Tax increase on to Somerset residents – Somerset Lib Dem MPs are fighting against this kind of unaffordable increase.

“This proposal from the government has led to council tax payers feeling even more anxious in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis

“They should not be made to suffer further after what auditors have said were the ‘poor decisions’ of previous Conservative-led administration and their woeful mismanagement of Somerset County Council finances.

“Speaking to the Minister, Somerset MPs we were crystal clear that the proposed increases would be far too much for residents to be expected to pay and that we strongly oppose it.

“We called on the Minister to increase the level of government funding to ensure any council tax rise would be far more modest.

“We highlighted that, as the fifth biggest council by land area in the country, Somerset suffers massively from the removal of remoteness uplift which recognised the additional costs of providing services in sparsely populated areas like Somerset.

“We also called for the £11-million lost due to Business Rates reform to be refunded and highlighted the reduced public health budget leading to greater strain on care provision.

“In a constructive meeting, the Minister listened carefully and invited us to submit more information including on the costs of health and care but we remain concerned that Labour does not properly understand the strain rural communities are under.

“They must now acknowledge the impact their changes are having on Somerset and the pressures of delivering vital frontline services across our predominantly rural county.

“We will be taking up the offer of a further meeting with officials as soon as possible and will continue to press home the need for higher year on year funding from central government for Somerset.

“It should not be for council taxpayers in Somerset to bail out a failing government care funding system”.

The MPs added that: “Two out of every three pounds of council tax paid in Somerset goes on care for vulnerable adults and children, services the government requires by law to be delivered.

“But the increasing numbers coming forward are placing additional costs of care services on the authority next year, a shortfall the government has failed to fund.”