For all that politicians like to talk in statistics and numbers, at its heart politics is about how you feel.

Whether you trust me to deliver. Whether you feel the country is heading in the right direction. Whether you feel our communities are improving or getting worse.

I understand that. It is at the heart of why I’m in politics and why I’m a conservative – to help us to build communities which we can feel proud to call home.

At a recent “town hall” meeting I held in Arlesey – one of the new communities joining our Hitchin constituency after the next election – I was struck by this particularly.

Attendees told me about the difficulties they have had getting access to a GP. They told me about the problems of local transport. They told me of their disappointment at the state of their local high street.

But most importantly, they told me about their fear that all of these problems, plus the pressures from the new development earmarked for their town, would irreparably damage its character and community. It would make them feel less proud to call their community home.

I’m here to say that I get it.

The Comet: Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami (Image: Bim Afolami, MP)

There are lots of things that can influence whether we feel proud of the place we call home.

We want access to fantastic local services. That’s why I’ve been pushing for new GP surgeries – in Arlesey, to serve that community; at the East of Luton development, to serve our villages; and elsewhere.

We want to have a strong local economy and a range of high quality local shops. That’s why I’m working with business to create more jobs and bring more investment to our communities – giving you the opportunity to pursue your career without the commute and bringing our high streets back to life.

We want to feel safe in our homes and in our communities. That’s why I’ve been working so relentlessly to deliver more police officers on the street, tackling crime and making us all safer.

We want to be able to get around easily and quickly – and not have travelling around our towns and villages feel like a chore. That’s why I’m working to tackle congestion, including with my plan to open up the Eastern access to Hitchin Station to pedestrians and cyclists.

We want to live in beautiful, green, clean communities with great access to well-maintained green spaces. That’s why I’m campaigning to extend the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to give lasting protections to our countryside, rivers, woodlands and all of the natural beauty that characterises our communities. That’s also why I campaign so hard against things that put that at risk, like Labour and the Lib Dems’ plans to slash local waste services and take away public bins or the plans to expand Luton Airport.

This is personal to me. I’m so proud to call our corner of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire home. It’s where I’ve chosen to raise my family. It’s a privilege to fight our corner in Westminster. I’ll spend every day working for you – with you – to keep our communities as a place you can be proud to call home.