FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Somerset Independents

Here are answers to questions that we are frequently asked.

FAQ1: What is Somerset Independents and What Does It Do?

A: See this link here.

 

FAQ2: Who Formed Somerset Independents and Why?

A: See this link here.

 

FAQ3: What is your email address?

A: somerinds[at]gmail.com <--- An anti-spam measure - just replace with the @ symbol to reach us. Please email us at somerinds[at]gmail.com with your contact details if you want to get in touch, need help or want to have a detailed conversation.

 

FAQ4: Are you on Twitter?

A: Yes, and our account is @SomerInds . We do not generally enter into discussion via Twitter, because we have found over the years that the format does not encourage proper discussion. Please email us instead at somerinds[at]gmail.com with your contact details if you want to get in touch, need help or want to have a detailed conversation.

FAQ5: What is your phone number?

A: Our mobile is ​07591691543. Please leave a message with your name and contact details.

FAQ6: What do you mean by "Independent"?

A: We are independent of the Westminster parties. By Westminster parties, we mean the national political parties who have English MPs at Westminster- the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens. We are local and we were formed by Somerset residents for Somerset residents. If you want to know why we are independent, please see the other FAQ answers and our website.

FAQ7: What has Somerset Independents done?

A: In 2020, we were new. But due to our energy and expertise, we quickly had campaign wins. Please use the tags and search facility to have a look around our website for our work and our campaign wins.

Now we are over two years old, and our campaign successes have extended beyond our early area of operations around the East of Somerset.

We now work across the entire traditional county boundaries of Somerset - North, South, East and West.

 

We have provided advice and won campaigns working with residents of:

 

• Taunton
• Frome
• Wrington
• Weston-super-Mare
• Pilton
• Chard
• Ilminster
• Yeovil
  
• Crewkerne
  
• Shepton Mallet
  
• Mendip District Council
• Somerset County Council
• Sedgemoor District Council
• Somerset West and Taunton Council
• South Somerset District Council
• North Somerset Council
• Bath and North East Somerset Council
  

 

We have exposed councillors who did not pay their council tax for months or even years and forced them out of office.

 

We have exposed conflicts of interest and corruption in Somerset's councils.

We campaigned for a Referendum on any changes to Somerset's councils.

We have forced councils to change how they operate to be more democratic.

We have protected green spaces.

 

We have exposed profligate spending of councils and councillors.

 

And we have held councillors and MPs - those in parties and those who are independent - to account.

 

Our work has been reported in local media including SomersetLive, the County Gazette, on the BBC and in The Leveller. Our work has also appeared in national media including the "Rotten Boroughs" section of Private Eye.

And there is more... Just search for the word VICTORY on this website for more.

FAQ8: What is your emblem?

A: A simple logo that represents the beautiful hills of Somerset and some buildings that you may see on hills around the County.

FAQ9: Do you work with other independents?

A: Yes, we work with other independents. Please be aware that we have discovered some independents on Somerset's councils are not really independent - some are fake independents. 

 

Contact us to elaborate or search our website for articles that make clear what we mean. Let us know if you want to work with us.

We wish to make it clear that we currently (as at June 2022) have no Somerset Independents councillors elected.

 

And we have no formal agreements or links with any of the independent councillors in Somerset on the following councils:

• Bath and North East Somerset Council
  
• Mendip District Council
• North Somerset Council
  
• Sedgemoor District Council
• Somerset County Council
• Somerset West and Taunton District Council
• South Somerset District Council

We have advised and worked with independent district, unitary and county councillors, town and parish councillors and community groups across the entire County of Somerset. And we've had many campaign wins by working with them.

We have, from time to time and on certain issues, worked with some of the following. But we are independent from: 

• Portishead Independents
• Independents for Frome
• Future Shepton
• Wells Independents
  

FAQ10: Do you ever work with the Westminster parties?

A: Not usually, no. But if there is an issue that we feel needs to be worked on cross-party and with other independents, then we will do so.

 

FAQ11: Are you a political party?

 

We started out as a campaign group and that remains our primary focus. 

 

In September 2020, we had notification from the Regulator, the Electoral Commission, that we were authorised as a political party. Our officers had applied to have emblems, descriptions and our Constitution approved.

 

And for two years, we were a registered local party, formed by Somerset residents for Somerset residents. 

 

In November 2022, the officers of Somerset Independents decided to de-register the Party. We applied to do so, and then had confirmation from the Electoral Commission that this de-registration had been completed.

 

Somerset Independents remains as a campaign group.