General election 2024: winners and turnouts in Somerset

The Conservatives, who had held four Somerset seats before the election was called, have been reduced to just one: Ashley Fox fended off a strong challenge from Labour's Leigh Redman to win in Bridgwater.

Tory politicians who lost their seats include former Nature Minister Rebecca Pow (Taunton's MP since 2015), who held a majority of 11,700 from the last general election in 2019 but gained only around half the votes of Gideon Amos on July 4.

Another was Marcus Fysh, who was first elected in Yeovil in 2015 and briefly held the Exports Minister post under Liz Truss's short-lived leadership after he backed her campaign to replace Boris Johnson in 2022.

There were audible gasps in the Wellsprings counting venue when Mr Fysh was unseated by Lib Dem Adam Dance with a majority of 12,268.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, who had been an MP since 2001, also lost out to the Lib Dems as Rachel Gilmour was victorious in Tiverton and Minehead.

Former Wells MP Tessa Munt will make her return to Parliament after nine years away, while 2023 by-election winner Sarah Dyke won comfortably in her new seat, Glastonbury and Somerton.

Although Nigel Farage's Reform UK did not win any of their five seats locally, their Somerset candidates did achieve some significant vote shares (up to 22 per cent), coming third across the board despite the party's “standing start”.

Labour won an overall majority in the Commons with 411 seats compared to the Conservatives' 121 and the Lib Dems' record 72.

Here's our summary of the election results, with figures for each candidate's vote share, majorities and turnouts.

Bridgwater

Ashley Fox, Conservatives – 12,281 (30.6 per cent)

Leigh Redman, Labour – 10,932 (27.24 per cent)

William Fagg, Reform UK – 8,913 (22.21 per cent)

Claire Sully, Liberal Democrats – 5,781 (14.41 per cent)

Charles Graham, Green Party – 1,720 (4.29 per cent)

Pelé Barnes, Independent – 334 (0.83 per cent)

Gregory Tanner, Workers Party – 168 (0.42 per cent)

Majority: 1,349 

Turnout: 56.3 per cent

2019 turnout (Bridgwater and West Somerset): 67.6 per cent

Ashley Fox (left) after being elected to represent Bridgwater in Parliament. (Image: Jamie Grover, Newsquest)

Frome and East Somerset

Anna Sabine, Liberal Democrats – 16,580 (35.49 per cent)

Lucy Trimnell, Conservatives – 11,165 (23.9 per cent)

David Swain, Reform – 6,441 (13.79 per cent)

Robin Moss, Labour – 6,416 (13.73 per cent)

Martin Dimery, Green – 5,083 (10.88 per cent)

Shaun Hughes, Independent – 737 (1.58 per cent)

Gavin Heathcote, Independent – 294 (0.63 per cent)

Majority: 5,415

Turnout: 65.5 per cent 

2019 turnout (Somerton and Frome): 75.6 per cent 

2023 turnout (Somerton and Frome by-election): 44.2 per cent

Anna Sabine is elected as the MP for the #Frome and #EastSomerset constituency.https://t.co/sWiVOLmbjm pic.twitter.com/v4PNFdGNJF

— Somerset Council (@SomersetCouncil) July 5, 2024

Glastonbury and Somerton

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrats – 20,364 (42.74 per cent)

Faye Furbrick, Conservatives – 13,753 (28.87 per cent)

Tom Carter, Reform – 7,678 (16.12 per cent)

Hal Hooberman, Labour – 3,111 (6.53 per cent)

Jon Cousins, Green Party – 2,736 (5.74 per cent)

Majority: 6,611

Turnout: 65.3 per cent 

2019 turnout (Wells): 75.2 per cent

Taunton and Wellington

Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrats – 24,331 (48.38 per cent)

Rebecca Pow, Conservatives – 12,392 (24.64 per cent)

Charles Hansard, Reform – 8,053 (16.01 per cent)

Brenda Weston, Labour – 3,552 (7.06 per cent)

Ryan Trower, Green Party – 1,832 (3.64 per cent)

Rochelle Russell, Communist Party – 134 (0.27 per cent)

Majority: 11,939

Turnout: 64.1 per cent 

2019 turnout (Taunton Deane): 71.9 per cent

Gideon Amos with Lib Dem supporters in Taunton. (Image: Newsquest)

Tiverton and Minehead

Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrats – 18,326 (38.59 per cent)

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservatives – 14,819 (31.2 per cent)

Fred Keen, Reform – 7,787 (16.4 per cent)

Jonathan Barter, Labour – 4,325 (9.11 per cent)

Laura Buchanan, Green Party – 2,234 (4.7 per cent)

Majority: 3,507

Turnout: 66.2 per cent 

2019 turnout (Tiverton and Honiton): 71.9 per cent 

2022 turnout (Tiverton and Honiton by-election): 52.3 per cent

I am honoured and humbled that the people of Tiverton & Minehead have placed their trust in me to serve as MP. Thank you for your support, and to those who campaigned with me on the doorsteps up and down this new constituency. Let's get started! pic.twitter.com/lB0Gcj6r0n

— Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton & Minehead (@RachelGilmourLD) July 6, 2024

Wells and Mendip Hills

Tessa Hunt, Liberal Democrats – 23,622 (46.9​ per cent)

Meg Powell-Chandler, Conservatives – 12,501 (24.82 per cent)

Helen Hims, Reform – 6,611 (13.13 per cent)

Joe Joseph, Labour – 3,527 (7 per cent)

Peter Welsh, Green Party – 2,068 (4.11 per cent)

Abi McGuire, Independent –1,849 (3.67 per cent)

Craig Clarke, Independent – 190 (0.38 per cent)

Majority: 11,121 

Turnout: 68.7 per cent

Yeovil

Adam Dance, Liberal Democrats – 23,765 (48.55 per cent)

Marcus Fysh, Conservatives – 11,497 (23.49 per cent)

Laura Bailhache, Reform – 7,677 (15.68 per cent)

Dr Rebecca Montacute, Labour – 3,002 (6.13 per cent)

Serena Wootton, Green Party – 2,403 (4.91 per cent)

Steve Ashton, Independent – 608 (1.24 per cent)

Majority: 12,268

Turnout: 61.4 per cent 

2019 turnout: 71.9 per cent