Decades after the communication and digital revolutions transformed business efficiency, Somerset's councils finally merged into a single unitary authority — a sensible move that should have streamlined services and saved millions.

Yet, over two years on, the result is chaos and crisis.

Auditors Grant Thornton have twice issued statutory warnings, out of only four issued nationally, because £18.5m savings from the One Somerset merger never appeared.

The Liberal Democrat council now teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Despite having an extra year to prepare, there was no meaningful merger planning after May 2022.

Since 2023, Somerset Council has spent more than £33 million on consultants and agency staff — about the same amount it just saved by cutting 300 jobs to balance the budget.

Now, another £20 million is being poured into a so-called "Inspiring Innovation" partnership with Newton Consulting, which looks suspiciously like outsourcing by another name. Paying consultants to tell highly paid managers how to save money is not leadership — it is an abdication of it.

Meanwhile, the projected deficit stands at £146 million by 2027 on a £600 million budget. Government intervention looms large.

Instead of focusing on core services, the council has approved a "Modern Data and AI Council" — despite government trials showing no real productivity gains from such technology. At the same time, millions in regeneration funding for the Glastonbury Life Factory remain unaccounted for, risking a £2.4 million clawback.

Somerset residents deserve competent, accountable leadership from the Liberal Democrats — not another officer led costly experiment or headline-grabbing distraction. This is not just a financial emergency or a planning emergency. It is a leadership emergency

Chris Mann, Taunton