One of the ironies of modern British politics is that the closer you get to the ground, the more sense things tend to make.

In Westminster, it’s often all theatre. A daily churn of headlines, spin, and increasingly empty exchanges. But in local government—the town halls, parish councils, scrutiny committees—you encounter something far more real: roads that need repairing, bins that need emptying, residents who simply want to be heard.

As a district and county councillor, I see both the frustration and the quiet dignity of local democracy. You can’t bluff your way through it. You either get the bus route restored or you don’t. You either show up—or people notice you didn’t.

And this is precisely what’s been lost in national politics. A sense of responsibility without showmanship. We’ve created a culture where MPs are media performers more than public servants. Where debates are scored like tennis matches rather than judged by outcomes.

If there’s to be any renewal in British politics—particularly for the Conservative Party—it won’t come from slick rebrands or sudden policy pivots. It will come from a recommitment to public service at the most human level.

Because the truth is, most voters don’t care about who said what at PMQs. They care about whether their council tax is well spent, whether they feel safe walking home, and whether their children have a decent school place.

If we ignore the parish pump, we lose the country.