We contacted all of the candidates vying for your vote to be the next MP for the Glastonbury and Somerton constituency, asking each of them the same questions. We've taken their responses exactly as they were sent to us - so you know where each candidate stands to help you decide who to vote for.

Here are their responses to the question:

How will you address the rising cost of living and support families struggling with day-to-day expenses? What are your plans for ensuring fair wages and tackling poverty in our area?

Jon Cousins (Green Party):

As your Green MP, I will advocate for policies that reduce the cost of living and support families struggling with day-to-day expenses. This includes pushing for a living wage that reflects the actual cost of living, implementing rent controls, and ensuring access to affordable housing. I will also support measures to reduce energy bills by promoting home insulation and renewable energy projects. The Green Party's commitment to social justice includes providing adequate support for low-income families through increased benefits and ensuring that public services are accessible and well-funded.

Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrats):

The Conservatives have badly mismanaged the economy and recklessly damaged the public finances, grinding economic growth to a halt. We'll provide long-term help with the cost of living by cutting energy bills through an emergency Home Energy Upgrade programme, tackling rising food prices through a National Food Strategy, and getting mortgage rates under control through careful economic management. We'll invest in green infrastructure, innovation and skills to boost economic growth in Street and Glastonbury, create good jobs and prosperity and help tackle the climate crisis. We'll introduce a social tariff for the most vulnerable to provide targeted energy discounts for vulnerable households. We'll also implement a tax policy that recognises how high the Conservatives have raised personal taxes, making the cost-of-living crisis worse, by focusing our tax changes on reversing the Conservatives' tax cuts for big banks and imposing a proper windfall tax on the super-profits of the oil and gas companies.

Hal Hooberman (Labour):



The Conservative cost of living crisis is the single biggest issue at this election. Child poverty is up by 700,000, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. When Labour was last in Government in 2008, there were just 22 Trussell Trust foodbanks, in 2023 there are over 2,500. This is a disgrace. Labour will tackle the sky-high cost of living by reducing energy bills through making Britain a clean, green energy superpower and properly regulating exploitative energy providers whilst also reducing food prices by removing barriers to business trading. In-work poverty is one of this Conservative Government's legacies. Again - this is a disgrace. Labour will make work pay with a New Deal for Working People - banning exploitative zero hours contracts, ending abusive fire and rehire practices, introducing basic employment rights from day one, and making the Minimum Wage a genuine living wage. And Labour will absolutely not increase any taxes on working people - we will not increase National Insurance, Income Tax, or VAT.

Tom Carter (Reform UK):

No response received

Faye Purbrick (Conservative)

No response received