| Tessa Munt MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Wells |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | David Heathcoat-Amory |
| Majority | 800 (1.4%)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 October 1959 Surrey, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
Tessa Jane Munt (born 16 October 1959) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wells in Somerset.
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Munt was the candidate for South Suffolk in the 2001 General Election, when she came third with 24.9% of the votes. She also stood for Ipswich at the 2001 Ipswich by-election,[2] coming third with 22.4% of the vote.[3] After moving to Somerset, she stood for Wells in the 2005 General Election, coming second to incumbent MP David Heathcoat-Amory with 37.8% of the vote. Munt won the Wells seat in the 2010 General Election with a majority of 800 over Heathcoat-Amory,[1] who admitted that his involvement in the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal played a part in his defeat.[1][4][5]
Munt is a party whip in the House of Commons, although she threatened to resign from the post if the Trident nuclear missile system was renewed.[6]
In July 2010, newspapers revealed details of an investigation by Sedgemoor District Council into her claims of council tax single person discount while having more than one other adult male registered to vote at her home, including a local GP, the broadcaster Andy Kershaw and the media advisor for the family of Madeleine McCann.[7][8][9][10][11][12] On 6 September 2010, Sedgemoor District Council said that there were now no criminal proceedings regarding to the single person discount on Council Tax and Munt was thus cleared of any wrongdoing,[13] though it then became apparent that she had paid the disputed amount to Sedgemoor District Council.[14]
Born in Surrey, Munt is the eldest of four children. Initially convent educated, she attended a girls' grammar school before finishing her education at an independent school and college. Munt, who is vegetarian,[15] lives in Mark on the Somerset Levels with her two children from her marriage to Martin Munt from whom she is separated.[15] She is a governor of Hugh Sexey Middle School in Blackford [16][17] and is a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.[18][19]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Heathcoat-Amory |
Member of Parliament for Wells 2010–present |
Incumbent |