Honiton, Sidmouth and Tiverton Liberal Democrats

11/03/2026

There is no point pretending otherwise. Devon’s roads are in a poor state.

In February alone, around 9,700 potholes were reported across the county, up 90% from the same period last year, which tells its own story about the condition of the network after years of what many residents would recognise as a period of managed decline.

Our highways teams are working incredibly hard, but when you are dealing with numbers like this the immediate priority has to be safety defects. That means the worst potholes are repaired first to keep people safe.

The reality is that when repairs have to be carried out during wet winter conditions, some will inevitably be temporary fixes. They are done to make the road safe, but they may need further work when conditions allow more permanent repairs.

Today I brought forward a recommendation to Cabinet to allocate an additional £3 million this year for highways reactive maintenance, helping our highways teams respond to the surge in potholes and storm damage following a difficult winter.

It is also worth remembering that the council is still operating under the budget set by the previous administration, but from April the new council budget comes into effect, which includes:

• Over £36 million for highways maintenance, an increase of £6 million
• More than £100 million in capital investment for preventative maintenance

This will not fix things overnight. Devon maintains around 8,000 miles of roads, one of the largest networks in the country, and the damage from years of underinvestment will take time to put right.

It is not just potholes either. Drainage, road markings, signage and other parts of the highway network also need sustained investment to keep the system working properly.

I will also continue to call on Government for fairer funding. Rural areas need funding that properly reflects the scale and cost of maintaining it.

But today’s additional funding, combined with the increased investment from April, is an important step towards turning the tide and beginning to undo years of underinvestment.

You can read the full announcement here:

https://www.devon.gov.uk/news/additional-3-million-agreed-support-devons-road-repairs/

08/03/2026

Today is International Women’s Day, a time to celebrate women's stories and achievements.

We honour their impact and recognise the work still needed to achieve equality.

Together, may we uplift, empower, and create a world where every woman thrives.

23/02/2026

🚨📣MARCH-APRIL CONSTITUENCY SURGERIES

I am delighted to announce the dates for my constituency surgeries in March and April.

If you would like to meet with me to discuss an issue, please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/e0sUaiYF2G ✍️

23/02/2026

📣🚨PROTECT SEND CHILDREN FROM PRIVATE PROFITEERING

The SEND system isn't just broken - it's being exploited. I find it abhorrent that while families across Tiverton and Minehead are fighting for every scrap of support for their child, private equity investors abroad are taking advantage of their plight.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to close this loophole by designating SEND services as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

With the legal powers to block acquisitions that prioritise profit over the welfare of children, we can ensure that public money is used where it is really needed - supporting our vulnerable young people.

Read more here 👇
https://www.wsfp.co.uk/news/mp-rachel-gilmour-joins-campaign-to-give-special-protection-to-send-education-881453

23/02/2026

Richard Foord, MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, has written to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.

24/12/2025

23/12/2025

📣JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 CONSTITUENCY SURGERIES

I am pleased to announce my upcoming constituency surgeries for January-February 2026.

If you have an issue or concern that you would like to discuss with me in the New Year, please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/ymNpBKetKY✅

23/12/2025

🚨CAMPAIGN WIN: Government makes significant changes to the Family Farm Tax, raising the Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) threshold from £1 million to £2.5 million ✅

➡️I am delighted that after a year of hard campaigning, the Government has finally listened to farmers across the country and made significant changes to the Family Farm Tax.

➡️This concession has been hard won, and I am so grateful to all the farmers across our constituency, the NFU - National Farmers' Union, and the CLA South West for fighting tirelessly to achieve this. Over the past year, my parliamentary colleagues and I have worked relentlessly to make the Government U-turn on these unfair tax changes.

➡️In the New Year, I will continue to press the Government to scrap this unfair tax in full and if they refuse to, the Liberal Democrats will submit amendments to bring it down.

Read more here 👇
https://somersetleveller.co.uk/farming/somerset-mps-celebrate-u-turn-over-inheritence-tax/

23/12/2025

The government has now said it will lift the intended threshold from £1m to £2.5m.

22/12/2025

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Liberal Democrats have won more local by-elections than any other party in 2025.

In real elections up and down the country, only the Lib Dems are taking on Reform and winning.

21/12/2025

My office is now closed until 5th January 2026. May I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

For help and advice over the Christmas period, please contact Citizens Advice. Bin collections over the festive period are also being altered in both East Devon District Council and Mid Devon District Council.

More local information can be found at eastdevon.gov.uk/christmas/ and middevon.gov.uk/christmas-info