Tessa Munt

Early life

Her paternal grandfather was a politician in Kenya in the 1950s, whilst her uncle was a member of the Church of England synod. Her mother was raised within the Church of Scotland, but her family had mainly Jewish roots.

The eldest of four children born in Surrey, she was educated at a Roman Catholic Convent school until the age of 11, and then at Reigate County School for Girls and Sutton High School, before finishing her education at an independent college. Munt has told the BBC that as a child, she was a victim of sexual abuse.

Career

Munt initially joined the international division of Midland Bank, before leaving after a year to join a local firm of solicitors. After three years, she started working for the local hotel, and after two years moved to East Anglia working in the company's sales and marketing team, before moving to personnel and later delivering quality customer care training.

She then worked in administration for South Essex College at their Southend-on-Sea campus, before moving into teaching. She then worked for a period in social services, working with adults with learning difficulties. She also worked part-time as a volunteer for both Childline and the Environmental Investigation Agency. She married in 1992, and had two children.

She spent time working as the personal assistant to former international cricketer Phil Edmonds. She then started working for a solicitors' firm, before being asked to move by a former company partner to join the team at Forsters solicitors. She also spent five years as a Regional Advisory Panel member for the National Lottery Charities Board.

Politics

Munt had joined the Labour Party in the early-1990s, but left after their election victory in 1997 due to the centralisation of party policy. She then campaigned in the late 1990s in Suffolk to preserve a Victorian school against a proposed development plan, where she met Andrew Phillips, Baron Phillips of Sudbury, and in 1999 after attending a party conference and meeting Norman Lamb she joined the Liberal Democrats.

Munt was the party's 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 caused by the death of Jamie Cann. coming third with 22.4% of the vote.

As her father lived in Wells, Somerset, a few weeks after her defeat, the local party committee offered her the option of standing in the Wells constituency. She stood in the 2005 General Election, coming second to incumbent MP David Heathcoat-Amory with 37.8% of the vote.

Westminster: 2010–2015

Munt won the Wells seat in the 2010 General Election with a majority of 800 over Heathcoat-Amory, who admitted that his involvement in the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal played a part in his defeat.

Munt was a party whip in the House of Commons from 2010 until March 2012, although she threatened to resign from the post if the Trident nuclear missile system was renewed. She was later appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Business Secretary Vince Cable.

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. On 6 September 2010, Sedgemoor District Council said that there were now no criminal proceedings relating to the single person discount on Council Tax and Munt was cleared of any wrongdoing,. However, it later became apparent that she had paid the disputed amount to Sedgemoor District Council.

On 27 January 2015, Munt resigned as PPS to Cable after she voted for a Commons amendment – not supported by the government – calling for a moratorium on fracking in the UK.

County Hall: 2017 - Present

On 5 May 2017, in the UK local elections, she was elected as a councillor in Somerset, beating Somerset County Council leader, John Osman, by 95 votes.

On 9 May 2017, Munt was criticised for leaving a county hall meeting on adult social care and community safety early, in order to meet Liberal Democrat party leader Tim Farron in Burnham-on-Sea.

Personal life

Munt lives with her two children from her marriage to Martin Munt, from whom she is separated, in the village of Wedmore on the Somerset Levels. A vegetarian, she is a governor of Hugh Sexey Middle School in Blackford, and is a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.