Our community faces relentless pressure under this Labour Government—cuts to winter fuel payments, taxes on family farms, National Insurance hikes, and now, a "worship tax."

Slashing the budget for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, extending it by only a year, and capping it annually is a blow to rural and faith-based communities.

This scheme has long been a lifeline, providing VAT relief for essential repairs. In 2022-23 alone, it delivered over £42,000 to our constituency, enabling vital maintenance.

Now, with reduced funding and a one-year extension, parishes face uncertainty, forced to delay repairs or scrape together funds they simply don’t have.

I raised this issue in the House of Commons, pressing the Government to recognise the value of our historic churches. Local clergy and the Bishop have also voiced their concerns. One local clergyman described the enormous burden of stewarding these heritage buildings, lamenting that this short-term extension offers no confidence for the future.

Our churches are more than bricks and mortar; they are living monuments and vital community hubs.

St Andrew’s in Farnham, St Mary’s in Frensham, St Alban’s in Hindhead, All Saints in Tilford, All Saints in Headley, and St John’s in Badshot Lea – urgently needing tower repairs – are just some that stand as testaments to centuries of worship, culture, and service.

These buildings house food banks, mother-and-baby groups, and initiatives that enrich and support our communities. Letting them decay for a fraction of national spending is as short-sighted as it is shameful.

This move adds to growing unease in rural Britain. Again and again, Labour shifts burdens onto small communities and volunteers. Whether it’s churches struggling with repairs, families facing tax hikes, farmers being penalised, or pensioners losing support, local people are left to pick up the pieces.

The Minister’s justification – financial pressures and "many competing demands” – rings hollow. Previous Governments extended this scheme because they understood the value of preserving historic places of worship. Labour’s refusal to commit long-term funding undermines that legacy.

It is deep in this Government’s psyche that the things many of us hold dear are antiquated, bourgeois, and valueless. But our churches are not relics—they are the beating hearts of our communities.

I will not stop raising the alarm. A permanent solution is needed to secure these buildings’ future and give parishes confidence to plan repairs.

Colleagues from across Parliament echo these calls, and I will continue to stand alongside them.

Our churches matter. They deserve better than short-term fixes and dwindling support. Labour must reconsider before even more damage is done to our nation’s heritage.