Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Solihull West & Shirley, elected in 2024. He previously served as a British Army Medical Officer and barrister, and sits on the House of Commons Justice Committee.

Britain faces a housing challenge that cannot be ignored. Too many young people are locked out of home ownership. Too many families are living in accommodation that is overcrowded or insecure. Too many communities lack the homes necessary to sustain local economies and public services. The argument for building more is clear and compelling.

However, in our understandable urgency to increase supply, we risk overlooking something fundamental; the quality of what we build. A nation is not simply strengthened by the number of houses it produces. It is shaped by the character of the places those houses create.

Britain’s towns and cities are among the most recognisable in the world because earlier generations built with confidence and care. The elegant terraces of the Regency period, with their measured proportions and coherent streets, remain among the most admired urban environments anywhere. The Victorian era, too, produced civic buildings, railway stations and town halls that combined engineering ingenuity with architectural ambition. Those structures were built not merely for utility, but for permanence.

Even where the buildings themselves were modest, they were conceived as part of a wider whole. Streets were designed with rhythm and harmony. Materials were chosen with durability in mind. Public spaces were integrated rather than incidental. The result was an environment that felt deliberate and settled.

By contrast, much contemporary development appears detached from place. Estates are laid out with little regard for the character of surrounding neighbourhoods. Materials are selected primarily for speed and cost. Streets are often treated as functional corridors rather than civic spaces. The outcome may satisfy housing targets, but it rarely inspires affection.

Such lack of attachment has consequences.

Beautiful architecture does more than please the eye; it shapes behaviour. When people live in places that are attractive, coherent, and well cared for, they are more likely to feel pride in their surroundings. That pride expresses itself in practical ways. Streets are kept cleaner. Public spaces are respected. Communities become more invested in maintaining the quality of their environment.

The reverse is also true. Where developments appear temporary, anonymous, or poorly designed, residents can struggle to form a sense of ownership. The built environment begins to feel disposable. Over time, that detachment can erode civic responsibility.

This is why design quality matters so profoundly. The homes we construct today will form the landscape of Britain for generations. They will shape how children grow up, how neighbours interact and how communities perceive themselves. Building well is therefore not an aesthetic indulgence; it is an act of civic stewardship.

None of this is an argument against building. Britain must increase housing supply if we are to provide opportunity for the next generation. But the choice is not between quantity and quality. We can do both. Indeed, we must.

That means making better use of brownfield land and regenerating underused urban spaces. Many of our towns contain disused industrial sites, vacant plots and neglected high streets that could be transformed into thriving neighbourhoods. Development in such locations brings new life to existing communities while reducing pressure on open countryside.

It also means recognising the continuing value of the green belt. The principle behind it remains sound; to prevent uncontrolled urban sprawl, protect the character of the countryside, and encourage renewal within our towns and cities. The green belt should not be treated as a convenient reservoir for poorly conceived expansion. Once open land is lost, it is rarely recovered.

Equally important is the role of design standards. Clear design codes, shaped locally and applied consistently, can provide certainty for developers whilst ensuring that new housing respects the scale, materials, and character of existing places. They should not be seen as bureaucratic obstacles but as instruments of good planning.

Where design is taken seriously from the outset, the results can be striking. Streets become places where people want to walk rather than merely drive through. Squares and parks encourage interaction and recreation. Homes feel connected to their surroundings rather than isolated from them. In such environments, residents develop a stronger sense of belonging.

There is also a broader cultural dimension. Britain’s built environment forms part of our national identity. Visitors from around the world admire our historic towns precisely because they possess coherence and character. We should not assume that such qualities are relics of the past. They can, and should, be carried forward.

Innovation in architecture is entirely compatible with respect for tradition. The best new buildings learn from what came before them whilst adapting to modern needs. They employ contemporary methods and technologies but remain attentive to proportion, materials, and context.

This approach reflects a deeper understanding of the nation as an inheritance. We receive landscapes shaped by previous generations and pass them on, altered in turn, to those who follow. That continuity imposes a responsibility to build in ways that enhance rather than
diminish the places we inhabit.

Britain must therefore pursue a housing strategy that is both ambitious and thoughtful. Ambitious in its determination to meet demand, and thoughtful in its commitment to beauty, coherence, and environmental stewardship.

If we succeed, the rewards will extend far beyond the provision of homes. We will create neighbourhoods that foster pride, encourage care for public spaces, and strengthen the bonds between citizens and their communities.

Britain has built beautifully before. With the right ambition and discipline, it can do so again.

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The Economist has delivered a damning verdict on Donald Trump’s Iran war with its latest cover.

“Operation Blind Fury,” blared the headline, a scathing twist on Trump’s own “Operation Epic Fury” name for the U.S.-Israeli military action.

The artwork depicted the president wearing a camouflage military helmet, complete with bullets tucked into the strap, pulled down over his eyes — a stark suggestion he’s got no clear sense of where he’s going with the conflict, which is now in its third week.

Sharing the cover on X, the magazine warned: “The reckless campaign against Iran will weaken America’s president. That will make him angry. Be warned: he makes a very bad loser.”

The post has gone viral, with more than 2.2 million views.

Commenters on the Elon Musk-owned platform praised the front page as brutally accurate, with one saying it “summed it up perfectly.”

Why would humming like a bee help you sleep?

How can I “bee hum” to help my sleep?

How did it go?

Alex Clarkson is Councillor for Borehamwood Hillside on Hertsmere Borough Council and is also Deputy Chairman of Hertsmere Conservative Association. He stood in Stevenage at the last General Election. He is a Founder Member of Conservatives Together and is the Vice-Chairman (Outreach) of LGBT+ Conservatives.  

I don’t know what it is, but I have always had a soft spot for village post offices. Maybe it was going down to my local one, before it was shut by the Blair government, to pick up my First Day Cover. Yes, philately anorak alert.

Maybe it is the fact that as an actor I voiced several male characters in Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service, still shown on CBBC most weekday mornings, with our hero Pat souped up for the 21st century now armed with a lorry, motorbike and helicopter.

Or maybe it is because village post offices are exactly what they appear to be. They are a quintessential part of British rural life. They are community hubs where villagers and passers-by do not just post letters or parcels, but natter in the queue and connect with one another, perhaps picking up some stationery or a Mother’s Day card just in time.

Now from experience voicing so many episodes, I can tell you that the goings-on in Mrs Goggins’ post office in the fictitious Cumbrian village of Greendale make an Eastenders Christmas special pale into insignificance. Unlike our much loved animation though, the realities of this Starmer government, with its 18 U-turns, higher taxes, higher borrowing and general chaos, means we are in a Greendale-like emergency, but with no Postman Pat to sort it out!

Labour’s threat to rural post offices

Ironically, one of the more monstrous proposals appeared in a Green Paper published last summer. It suggested abolishing the minimum number of 11,500 post offices nationwide introduced in 2010 by David Cameron, scrapping the Three Mile Rule that ensures 99 per cent of the population lives within three miles of a post office, and phasing out part time, mobile, or outreach branches that typically serve rural communities.

For our villages and small towns this would have been devastating. Post offices are often the last remaining public service in Hertfordshire’s rural communities.

The campaign in North East Hertfordshire

Credit to CCHQ and the Campaign Toolkit team. They were ahead of the curve from the outset, with leaflet and survey templates appearing in their own sub-section of the website within weeks of the Green Paper announcement.

Some Conservative members in our patch initially told us the issue was exaggerated and might generate complaints. It is right to be cautious yes, but once we showed them proof of the Green Paper announcement (which had of course been buried deep under other news announcements at the time), they got behind us. Meanwhile local Liberal Democrats went ballistic on the inevitable Facebook groups. Apparently, they believe they are the only party allowed to campaign on local issues!

But off we went last August, campaigning to save four village post offices in a corner of North East Hertfordshire. These are Greendale-style villages connected by winding country lanes and narrow rural roads, with cottages, village greens and small high streets where the post office still sits at the heart of the community.

These branches could easily have closed, forcing pensioners and residents to travel into Stevenage by bus simply to access basic services.

Listening on the doorstep

Using the ‘Knock, Drop & Collect’ system, dropping off an easy-to-use survey and returning in 20 minutes to collect it, we heard repeatedly how vital these post offices were. Residents told us they had helped keep villages connected during the pandemic. They explained how they allowed pensioners to manage their bank accounts after local bank branches closed. Two of them even offered to do social media videos for us illustrating these points, which of course we gladly accepted.

The key point is that we heard this directly, and residents felt heard.

We did not simply write a few bullet points on a leaflet and push it through doors, or post a graphic on Facebook. Using the knock, drop and collect model, we spoke to people directly.

The result was that we learned the issues first hand and, more importantly, voters saw us listening rather than simply asking for their vote. We received hundreds of voter intentions, and using the 0-10 system too rather than the old-fashioned (and largely useless) canvass letter code.

Bearing in mind this was territory that had not been canvassed for a while. With its council elections ‘all out’ rather than up ‘in thirds’, elections come once every four years with not much else happening in-between. These were villages that had been blue since time immemorial but were now either fair game for Reform or were already ensnared by the ‘Japanese knotweed’ that is the Liberal Democrats.

Now there is bang on up to date canvass data – these villages are campaign ready for a future local or General Election.

Unexpected campaigning bonuses

Two unexpected things happened.

First, a huge number of residents who were not home when we knocked, used the QR code to complete the survey online, or even sent the form back to our Association Office using their own stamp. Postman Pat would have been proud, and busy!

Second, we harvested what campaigners love most. Bonus prizes. Nearly two dozen residents requested information about Party membership, including one person interested in becoming a Conservative councillor and another keen to return as a branch chairman. We also recruited over a dozen new leaflet deliverers, the same number of social media supporters, and even gained several requests for postal votes.

What activists can learn

The lessons are clear.

– Knock, drop and collect works, but always include a QR code and return address for those not in

– Always include tick box options for membership, volunteering, or helping online.

– A strong local issue like ‘Save the Post Office’ dramatically increases engagement as it is relevant and emotive

– Check Campaign Toolkit for ready to use campaign materials

– Do not neglect areas you once assumed were ’true blue’ – in fact concentrate on them during ‘peacetime campaigning’ to shore up the core vote, lay the foundations and stop any bleed to rival parties

– Do not listen to local Fib Dems who will start whining, moaning and calling you liars the moment you start campaigning

A quiet but significant victory

Nationally, 180,000 people signed the Party’s petition to protect our post offices. In our corner of North East Hertfordshire we played our part.

On 22nd February Labour quietly performed another U turn. It barely made page eight of the Daily Mail, but for Dane End, Walkern, Watton-at-Stone and Weston it was big news.

The newspapers attributed the reversal to ‘public pressure’. In truth, it was Conservative pressure. A policy U turn, voter data gathered, new members recruited, and new volunteers signed up. Job done. For a moment the North East Herts team almost felt disappointed when the news arrived that the post offices were safe, because we were already preparing to campaign in a fifth village.

Not for long though. We are out saving the local pubs now!

And if Mrs Goggins had been watching from behind the counter of Greendale Post Office, I suspect she would have approved. Even Postman Pat would struggle to deliver that many campaign surveys!

The former Chancellor Sajid Javid said progress on social cohesion in the UK could be lost (Alamy)

4 min read25 min

Javid, a former Conservative MP of 14 years who served in six secretary of state roles, told PoliticsHome that debates about whether non-white politicians like him and former prime minister Rishi Sunak are British were not taking place a decade ago.

Last month, Sunak described himself as “British, English and British Asian” after right-wing podcaster Konstantin Kisin said last year that the senior Conservative MP was not English because he is a “brown-skinned Hindu”.

Sunak, who was the country’s first British Asian prime minister, warned that the UK was at risk of “slipping back” to a time of more undisguised racism.

Speaking on this week’s episode of The Rundown podcast from PoliticsHome, Javid said the fact that this sort of talking point was going viral online in the present day demonstrated how the UK was at risk of going backwards when it comes to social cohesion.

Asked whether he was surprised by it, the former chancellor said: “In a way, yes, because no one was asking questions like that, even a decade ago…

“Take Rishi as a great example. He became prime minister of our country, and someone dares question whether he’s British or not?”

“Obviously, it’s complete nonsense,” Javid added, “and I think questions like that often come from a divisive place, and that’s just the kind of division I think the vast majority of British people don’t have time for. 

“But one of the challenges that we’re having in today’s world, and especially how people consume or get their news is that, if you’re only getting news from your echo chambers on your social media channels, and those channels are inevitably pushing out divisive content because that’s what gets the clicks, then that is one of the features of today’s society.”

In his new memoir, The Colour of Home, Javid explains how his parents came to the UK from Pakistan with little money and “became proudly British”.

Speaking on the podcast, the former Tory MP reiterated his belief that “Britain is the most successful multiracial democracy in the world”, but called on ministers to do more to protect the progress made since the racism he faced in his own childhood in 1970s Bristol.

One of the roles he has taken on since leaving Parliament in 2024 is heading up The Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion, along with Jon Cruddas, the former Labour MP for Dagenham.

“A good friend, but someone on a different side politically, but I think what we definitely agree on is the division, sadly, in the UK, broadly put, has been on the rise, as it has been in many countries,” he told PoliticsHome.

He said it will be looking at “what more can we do to bring people together to have less segregation, more integration”, but admits he could have done more during his time in office.

As communities secretary in 2016, Javid commissioned a report from Dame Louise Casey, which said there were “worrying levels of segregation” in the UK, leading him to publish a government green paper and integration strategy. 

“I was just sort of getting going with it, and then Brexit happened”, Javid told PoliticsHome, bemoaning the fact that many priorities were jettisoned in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, adding: “We basically lost focus on many things.”

Earlier this month, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, announced a new social cohesion strategy, which included a new anti-Muslim hostility definition designed to help tackle rising abuse towards Muslims, as well as new government powers to close extremist charities and an additional £5m for the Common Ground Resilience Fund.

“Cohesion underpins our economic strength, our democratic freedom and our national security. It is a fundamental part of the Britain we love. We have made our choice in place of division, we choose unity, and we know the people of Britain have made the same choice,” Reed said.

The Rundown is presented by Alain Tolhurst, and is produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

• Click here to listen to the latest episode of The Rundown, or search for ‘PoliticsHome’ wherever you get your podcasts.

What does the data actually say?

Misdiagnosis can occur, but experts don’t think that’s the main issue here