TRIBUTES have been paid to former Liberal Democrat activist Pauline Sturgess following her death in January, aged 95.

Liberal Democrats from across two constituencies joined other volunteers, friends and family on Thursday, April 24, to celebrate the life of Ms Sturgess.

Present at the gathering at Sheppy’s Cider Farm, Bradford on Tone, were one sitting MP and two former MPs.

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “Pauline was a committed and hardworking Liberal Democrat activist who saw many changes in the local politics of Taunton and Wellington.

“As President of the local party from 2018 to 2023, she was delighted to hear that Gideon Amos had succeeded in entering Westminster as MP for Taunton and Wellington in July last year.

“Pauline, who lived in Wellington, was a great believer in community work and in addition to her efforts for the Lib Dem local party, she volunteered for the Samaritans, as well as chairing the Friends of Wellington Park.”

Tributes to Pauline were paid by former MP Jeremy Browne, MP for Tiverton and Minehead Rachel Gilmour, and Cllr Ross Henley, Somerset Council member for Blackdown and Neroche, as well as a representative from the Samaritans.

They all spoke of a welcoming, generous, and hardworking and committed community champion.

Mr Amos, who was unable to attend due to commitments in Westminster, said: “Pauline was always a tower of strength and support.

“When few others were willing to take up the cause, I often spent time at meetings in her house on Wellington High Street and we gradually began to build up the party again - just as Pauline had so often done in the past.

“Pauline was such a stalwart - a real rock for our party – and she will be very much missed from our local party family.”