Photo: DS Pugh · CC BY-SA 2.0The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Somerset Council
Taunton is run by Somerset Council, with Taunton parish council for local matters. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on Somerset Council. Its MP is Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat), member for Taunton and Wellington.
£2,688
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Taunton’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Somerset Council
The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Somerset Council: 61 of its 108 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 34, the Greens 5, Labour 5 and independents 3. Who’s in charge ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 55 of Somerset’s 108 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat61
- Conservative34
- Green5
- Labour5
- Independent3
Latest election: May 2022.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Taunton
One council runs every main service here.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
94% of Taunton’s residents · Band D precept £336
The parish council for the part of Taunton inside Bishop's Hull parish.
Who runs Taunton: same source as Who runs Taunton, above.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Taunton, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish2 parish councilsTaunton parish councilBishop's Hull parish council
- 2Somerset Council6 wards · 12 councillorsLiberal Democrat 12 · Independent 1 · all 13
- 3Police and crime commissionerAvon and Somerset Constabulary · elected May 2024Clare Moody
- 4House of CommonsTaunton and Wellington
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
12 councillors for 6 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Simon ColesLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Federica Smith-RobertsLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Hazel Prior-SankeyLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Fran SmithLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- John HuntIndependent · May 2022
- Caroline EllisLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Lee BakerLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Tom DeakinLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Nick O'DonnellLiberal Democrat · November 2024 · by-election
- Dixie DarchLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Derek Aneurin PerryLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Habib FarbahiLiberal Democrat · May 2022
- Dawn JohnsonLiberal Democrat · May 2022
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton Eastall in Taunton · 12,010 residents2 seats · May 2022 | 2 | Simon ColesFederica Smith-Roberts | May 2022 |
| Taunton Southall in Taunton · 11,282 residents2 seats · May 2022 | 2 | Hazel Prior-SankeyFran Smith | May 2022 |
| Bishop's Hull & Taunton Westall in Taunton · 10,583 residents2 seats · May 2022 | 2 | John HuntCaroline Ellis | May 2022 |
| Taunton Northall in Taunton · 10,502 residents2 seats · May 2022 | 2 | Lee BakerTom Deakin | May 2022 |
| Rowbarton & Staplegrovemostly in Taunton · 9,316 residents2 seats · November 2024, May 2022 | 2 | Nick O'Donnellby-electionDixie DarchDerek Aneurin Perry | November 2024, May 2022 |
| Comeytrowe & Trullmostly in Taunton · 7,974 residents2 seats · May 2022 | 2 | Habib FarbahiDawn Johnson | May 2022 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Somerset Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Somerset council election, May 2022
Results in the wards that make up Taunton, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
6 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Taunton’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗3,995 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
5,401 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
5,721 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (3 more)
4,628 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
5,035 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
6,963 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Taunton is in Taunton and Wellington constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Taunton).
50,294 votes for candidates · majority 11,939
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 50,294 votes from 78,680 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 11,939 of 50,294 votes (23.7%): wider than in 75% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Taunton’s Band D council tax is £2,705 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Somerset Council keeps £1,950.89 of a Band D bill (72%); the rest goes to the Taunton parish council, the Avon & Somerset police and crime commissioner and the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,688 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Taunton, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Somerset’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,200.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Somerset
| Somerset | Taunton’s councils | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £507 | £487 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £292 | £277 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £40 | £33 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £31 | £33 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £150 | £136 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £25 | £16 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £15 | £16 | £26 |
| Public health | £51 | £56 | £78 |
| Running the council | £41 | £46 | £59 |
| Other | £20 | £8 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,172 | £1,108 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Somerset and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Taunton is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
somerset.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
somerset.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Taunton is run
Which council runs Taunton?
Taunton is run by Somerset Council.
Does Taunton have a town council?
Yes: Taunton has its own parish-tier council (Taunton parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £336 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Taunton?
Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for Taunton and Wellington, which covers Taunton.
How many councillors does Taunton have?
12 ward councillors represent Taunton’s 6 wards.
When are the next elections in Taunton?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Taunton’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Taunton?
Band D council tax in Taunton is £2,688 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Somerset Council?
The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 61 of 108 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2022 council election in Taunton?
In Taunton’s wards on 5 May 2022, Liberal Democrat 11 · Independent 1 of the 12 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 56.6%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.