The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will be squaring off against each other in a rematch of the last General Election battle in the Taunton Deane constituency.

Rebecca Pow defeated Gideon Amos in 2017, winning nearly 53 per cent of the vote – though the Lib Dems’ vote share did rise.

Now the same two candidates will be back for a second round, with Labour and a local independent candidate making up the remaining numbers.

The Green Party is not fielding a candidate following a national pact with the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru in 60 seats.

The full list of candidates for the seat has been published after the deadline for nominations passed at 4pm on Thursday (November 14).

The candidates standing are:

n Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat)

n Liam Canham (Labour)

n John Hunt (Independent)

n Rebecca Pow (Conservative)

The Unite to Remain pact means that the Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid Cymru will not compete against each other in 60 target seats – instead, the party out of the three deemed most likely to take each seat will run for election.

In Somerset, the Greens have agreed to stand aside in Taunton Deane and Wells.

Mr Amos tweeted on November 7: “I am very grateful for this [pact] and welcome a sensible decision to unite behind me and the Lib Dems in Taunton Deane – [I am] the only candidate committed to undoing the damage caused by Brexit and focusing on the climate emergency.”

Ms Pow unseated Lib Dem MP Jeremy Browne in 2015, and was returned with an increased majority at the last election.

Prime minister Boris Johnson gave Ms Pow a ringing endorsement during a visit to Somerset on Thursday, calling her ‘a great campaigner for the environment’ and ‘a powerful voice for Taunton in government’.

Mr Canham, however, took to Twitter on Friday (November 15) to criticise Ms Pow’s voting record on the environment, citing the work of parliamentary website TheyWorkForYou.

He tweeted: “Rebecca Pow claims she is an environmentalist. However, her voting record suggests that she couldn’t be further from it.

“Only Labour will take appropriate action on the environment.”

Mr Hunt currently sits as an independent on both Somerset County Council and Somerset West and Taunton Council.

In the local elections in May, he received one of the highest numbers of votes for an individual candidate when he was elected to the Comeytrowe and Bishop’s Hull ward.

He tweeted on Tuesday (November 12): “I’m afraid my faith in the political parties and those who represent them is completely broken.

“We badly need a parliamentary representative who truly represents us all.”

DANIEL MUMBY

Local democracy reporter