If you've been following Hertfordshire's local government reorganisation, you might be wondering where we've got to.

In July, the Government announced that Hertfordshire would have four new unitary councils. In September, the reorganisation programme was paused for a review. Then, at the end of October, the Government withdrew its decision and confirmed that all the options would be considered again.

The changes are still expected to happen, although the timetable has moved back a year to April 2029.

I’m a white man, and I’m conscious that people make assumptions about me before we’ve even spoken. There are parts of my background that people probably wouldn’t expect just by looking at me. I suspect that’s true for many of us.

But having my own experiences doesn’t mean I understand somebody else’s. I don’t know what it’s like to be Black in Hertfordshire, to experience racism, or to grow up in a family or community with a very different history from my own. I can listen, ask questions and try to understand, but I also need to recognise what I don’t know.