The Government has made it clear that our councils in Waverley and East Hampshire are set to be abolished, replaced by much larger unitary authorities in both Surrey and Hampshire.

Devolving power to local decision-makers is welcome. Decisions affecting our communities are best made here at home, not dictated from Westminster.

However, Labour’s plans, which I believe are rushed, have already disrupted local democracy, leading to the cancellation of May’s elections. Angela Rayner’s ultimatum left county councils with a stark choice: take control of the process or be subjected to top-down reform.

Beneath the soon-to-be-defunct authorities, an existing structure remains. Our town and parish councils are the most immediate and accessible form of representative democracy.

Farnham, Haslemere, and Whitehill & Bordon each have their mayors and town leaders, while our villages are served by active parish councils.

I have met with representatives at all levels, including the Hampshire and Surrey Associations for Local Councils. These conversations, informed by residents’ concerns, help shape my work as your MP.

Whether it is broadband issues in Tilford, regeneration in Bordon, community projects in Churt, speeding in Liphook or national landscape expansion in Dockenfield, it is vital that local voices are not only heard but respected and empowered.

Yet, from my discussions with local councillors and in Westminster, I am deeply concerned that Labour does not fully grasp the role these councils play. Many of their key figures hail from or represent dense metropolitan areas where Town and Parish Councils do not exist.

I do not suggest one system is better than the other, but their experience does not align with the realities of rural communities like ours.

Despite the Government’s haste in pushing these reforms, they have been frustratingly slow in clarifying the future role of Town and Parish Councils. Local representatives are uneasy, and it is disappointing that the Deputy Prime Minister has done little to address their concerns.

My own confidence in the Government’s ability to manage these changes is fading. In December, I wrote to the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Tulip Siddiq, about financial legislation that leaves town and parish Councils vulnerable and without the protection of an Ombudsman.

Following my questions of her on a different matter at Prime Minister’s Question Time, Ms Siddiq soon found herself in a precarious situation, but after writing to her successor in early February, I am still awaiting a response.

This lack of engagement from those in charge erodes my faith in our nation’s leaders, and it is something I will not let slide.

I will continue pressing the Government to act. In the meantime, I want to recognise the outstanding work of our Town and Parish Councils and encourage residents to engage with and support those working tirelessly at the heart of our communities.