DESPITE a leaked list naming Bridgwater as a "non-priority" seat, Bridgwater Labour are confident in making the town a Labour constituency at the next election.

A leaked list from the Labour Party’s governance and legal unit, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, listed only Frome and East Somerset as a priority out of the seven new reorganised Somerset constituencies.

Councillor Brian Smedley, leader of the Labour controlled Bridgwater Town Council, explained that despite the list, Bridgwater does indeed remain a priority for the Labour Party.

"All the polls are showing it as a ‘Labour Gain’ and it’s the best opportunity for decades to finally win the seat and that the new geography means we have lost the Tory heartlands of West Somerset and gained the old Labour areas in Highbridge," Cllr Smedley said.

"Bridgwater is a Labour town and our priority is to make it a Labour constituency at the next election."

The local Labour Party hope that the newly designed constituencies will play to their advantage, with the traditionally Labour Bridgwater town at the heart of the new Bridgwater constituency.

Labour came second in the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency at the last election, which also saw 13 Labour councillors elected into the Town Council of 16 people.

Councillor Smedley added: "The polls are showing Bridgwater as a Labour gain, but not just Bridgwater; also Weston Super Mare and North Somerset.

"So, far from not being a priority, it’s pretty important that Labour campaigns hard in these seats.”