Angela Rayner’s announcement of a pause and rethink on much of the Government’s local government reorganisation is welcome. For months, those of us who believe passionately in genuinely local government have watched with increasing concern as plans have developed which would abolish district and Borough councils in large swathes of England and replace them with March larger, more remote unitary authorities.

Today offers an opportunity to think again.

District and Borough Councils are at the heart of the communities they serve. They empty our bins, decide planning applications, support our town centres, provide leisure facilities, put on community events, and deal with many of the everyday issues which determine how people feel about the places where they live. And, importantly, they are genuinely local. Residents know their council. The best Councillors know their patches. Decisions can be taken by people who understand the towns and villages affected by them. That matters.

The previous direction of travel risked replacing these genuinely local councils with enormous authorities covering vast geographical areas, with the centre of decision-making potentially many miles away from many of the communities served. Calling something ‘local government’ does not automatically make it local. As Liberal Democrats we understand this better than most. Localism is fundamental to liberalism. Power should be exercised as close as practically possible to the people affected by it, rather than constantly being dragged upwards into ever larger institutions.

There is also no hiding from the fact that district and Borough councils are places where Lib Dems have often prospered electorally. That is not an accident. Our politics works best when it is rooted in communities: councillors knocking on doors, listening to residents and fighting for improvements street by street and neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

Of course local government must evolve. Councils face enormous financial pressures, and there will be arguments for services to be shared, structures improved and bureaucracy reduced. But bigger does not automatically mean better. Reorganisation must never become an exercise in drawing bigger shapes on maps in Whitehall while weakening the connection between residents and those making decisions on their behalf.

Rayner, the Local Government Secretary, now has an opportunity to pursue something much more ambitious: genuine devolution which strengthens communities rather than abolishing their councils. I hope she takes it. District and Borough Councils belong at the heart of their communities. This rethink should ensure they stay there.

Growth – and well-being – must reach every postcode

The Chancellor is right to talk about delivering growth in every postcode. For far too long, prosperity and opportunity have been largely concentrated in particular parts of the country. But growth alone cannot be the measure of a successful economy. We must be equally ambitious about ensuring that well-being reaches every postcode too. That means good jobs and decent wages, but also affordable homes, thriving high streets, reliable public transport, beautiful green spaces and public services people can depend on. Economic growth matters because of what it can achieve.

Ultimately, government should be judged not simply by whether GDP rises, but whether people’s lives improve.

It’s good to be back!

After taking an August break, Mathew on Monday is back for a new political season! And what a few months we have ahead of us. As ever, I’ll be here each Monday with my thoughts on politics, viewed through an unashamedly liberal lens.

Please join me!

* Mathew Hulbert is a former Councillor, is a regular commentator on TV and Radio, and is Co-Host of the Political Frenemies podcast.