The Labour Party has been the dominant force in the town of Bridgwater for most of the past 100 years with influential branches throughout the constituency westwards through Watchet and Williton to Minehead and Dulverton.
The Sedgemoor District Labour Group is the largest in Somerset with currently 10 sitting councillors demonstrating the strength of Labour tradition in the Bridgwater area. However, Conservatives have dominated Sedgemoor District Council since it's creation in 1972 by chance of the solid blue rural wards of Burnham and Cheddar. Yhe leader is Cllr Kathy Pearce (Bridgwater Hamp)The Bridgwater and West Somerset Parliamentary Constituency stretches from the Polden Hills in the East , to Bridgwater and along the Somerset coast through Minehead to the Devon border on the West. It has been traditionally dominated by the rural Tory vote and Labours chances to win have been confounded by a weak Lib Dem presence that constantly splits the vote. The current Labour Parliamentary Candidate is Cllr Kathy Pearce (Bridgwater Hamp)
Bridgwater Town Council is controlled by Labour with 10 Councillors to the Tories 6. Once a strong and progressive Labour Borough council the town suffered decline since the creation of Sedgemoor District council in the 1970s which subjected it to Tory domination. Since the re-creation of a Town Council in 2000 under Labour control , Bridgwater has been regaining some of it's previous power
and influence. The current leader of the town council is Cllr John Turner (Bridgwater Hamp) and the Mayor is Cllr Bill Monteith (Bridgwater Eastover)
Bridgwater has traditionally sent a full set of Labour councillors to represent the town on Somerset County Council but was affected badly by the Apathetic landslide in the 2009 elections when voters failed to turn up in their droves and lost 2 seats to the Tories- however, fighting off a challenge from the BNP , Cllr Dave Loveridge (Bridgwater North & Central) won his seat and still represents the area on County.
Bridgwater Labour Party is based at UNITY HOUSE, Dampiet street, Bridgwater. The UNITY CLUB is a popular venue for young people, rock gigs, Foreign exchange events and Trades Unionists meetings. It is now fully WI-FI accessible. The present Labour YOUTH & STUDENT OFFICER , TRADE UNION LIASON OFFICER and SECRETARY OF THE DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY is Cllr Brian Smedley (Bridgwater Hamp)Contact (email) KathyPearce2010@gmail.com
