🎄 Christmas shopping, Christmas cards, Christmas productions, Christmas tree festivals. My Christmas East Anglian Daily Times / Ipswich Star column 👇 Merry Christmas, everyone.

This is exactly why I fought so hard for Sizewell C, and why I was delighted the Prime Minister gave the green light to the project in Ipswich. Hundreds of good jobs are coming to our town because of our Government's investment and the agreement I negotiated with Sizewell C last year.

🚨 THE BIGGEST UPLIFT TO WORKERS' RIGHTS IN A GENERATION 🚨 Reform and the Tories tried to block it, but Labour's Employment Rights Bill has passed. ❌ Ban on zero hours contracts 1⃣ Sick pay from day one 👎 No more fire and rehire 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Stronger family rights including parental leave and bereavement leave

A stark warning from the Chief Executive of Ipswich Hospital, Nick Hulme. While we are heading in the right direction, with more funding and staffing and waiting times falling, there's still so much work to do to get our NHS back on its feet. We must protect it from those that want to destroy it.

Suffolk and Norfolk has received £4m in Government funding to deliver new Skills Bootcamps which will offer training to nearly 1,500 people. Whether someone is looking to start a new career, gain extra qualifications, or move up in their current role, these courses give people the tools to succeed.

To revive Ipswich's town centre we need people and we need investment. That is why I'm leading our culture bid forward. This is not about hosting a few more gigs in a few years' time. This is our town's regeneration project.

Some light in what feels like an incredibly dark world. Ipswich's new mural - hosted by Ipswich Community Media (ICM) in partnership with Art Eat Events - is about community, pride, and hope. Now more than ever, we all need to hold onto, cherish and promote those values.

We should be so proud of the impact Ipswich's young people are making. They want a brighter future, and have the ambition, ideas and talent to keep driving us all forward. My latest East Anglian Daily Times / Ipswich Star column 👇

🎄 A massive well done to Alfie from Springfield Junior School who was the winner of my Christmas card competition this year. Thank you to everyone to took the time to send me their designs - it really was so difficult to choose! Thanks also to Dial Lane Books for their generous prize.

Not a surprise to see the Conservatives at Suffolk County Council opposed to lifting children out of poverty. After all, they have hollowed out children's centres, halved health visitors, cut school transport and overseen a decade-long SEND crisis.

I loved hosting St Margaret’s, St Matthew’s and Hillside for #UKParliamentWeek. We had a good chat about my job, but the really fun bit was when I asked the pupils to create their own political parties, including leaders, pledges and a logo. They then had to stand for election!

🚗 Suffolk will receive record Government investment to fix our crumbling roads: £219 million over the next four years. 📉 Under the previous Conservative Government, annual funding for Suffolk fell to £17.5 million in 2020. 📈 With Labour, it'll reach £65 million by 2030.

'This Strategy is about giving our young people the security, support, and genuine voice they deserve, helping to restore a real sense of pride and belonging in the place we call home.' Positive coverage about the National Youth Strategy from @ipswichnews.bsky.social 👇

The Government has published the first National Youth Strategy in a generation. Backed by £500 million in funding, it will make a life-changing impact. As I said to @waynebavinshow.bsky.social on BBC Radio Suffolk, we should be so proud that Ipswich played such a crucial role in its development.

Team Ipswich and Lisa Nandy at the launch of the National Youth Strategy. I'm so proud our town, the UK's first Town of Youth Social Action, played such a central role. Our Government's game-changing plan was written by young people, for young people. Ipswich was at its heart.

This significant, £9.8 million investment from our Labour Government will cut carbon emissions, reduce energy costs for local organisations and create high-quality, skilled jobs in Ipswich. I’m proud this groundbreaking project will deliver long-term benefits for our town.

Ipswich's best-loved department store now has a new homeware and gift section. Coes on Norwich Road has lots of lovely bits for presents this year - the little mice are this year's addition to our Christmas tree! #SmallBusinessSaturday

It was a privilege to join @helpforheroes.bsky.social in Parliament to hear directly about the challenges medically discharged veterans face, and what needs to change. I am proud to support Help For Heroes' campaign and I will continue working to ensure no veteran is left behind.

It was a privilege to join @helpforheroes.bsky.social in Parliament to hear directly about the challenges medically discharged veterans face, and what needs to change. I am proud to support Help For Heroes' campaign and I will continue working to ensure no veteran is left behind.

While we have made good progress in tackling crime in Ipswich over the past 18 months, I know there is still a lot of work to do. The Winter of Action is the sign of a Government getting a grip on the situation, ending years of warm words but little action.

The pandemic had a devastating effect on many people, but for autistic, neurodivergent and vulnerable people, the lasting impacts were severe because of the previous Government's gross negligence. This must never happen again, so I urged our Government to prepare for the future.

🎄St Mary le Tower's Christmas Tree Festival is back and it's as magical as ever. The Festival is free to attend, has a pop up café and children’s activities available on most days, and is open until Sunday 7th December. View the Christmas Services here: www.ipswichminster.org/christmas-services

I am driving Ipswich's culture bid forward because it will help revive our town. As we have seen throughout this year, when people come to an event or exhibition, they spend money in our shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels. This bid is our regeneration project.

A great team out across Chantry this morning. I treated myself to a breakfast bap from Victoria's Bakery (hash brown, bacon and sausage with brown sauce) beforehand, and I popped into St Francis Church's Christmas Fair after too. It was really good to see it so busy.

Ipswich's City of Culture bid is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I was proud to share my vision with the leading creatives in our town at the New Wolsey Theatre. I was also delighted to be joined by @ipswichtown.bsky.social's Mark Ashton who gave his full backing to the bid.

- This was a Budget about fair choices - Freezing fuel duty, rail fares and prescription charges. Cutting energy bills. Raising wages for the lowest paid workers in Ipswich. Lifting children out of poverty. Investing in our NHS. Supporting small businesses in our town.

Today, our Labour Government scrapped the two-child limit, a Conservative policy which drove thousands of children into poverty. This is a life-changing decision, helping over 3,000 children living in Ipswich and reduce relative child poverty by 450,000 by the end of the decade.

🚉 For the first time in 3⃣0⃣ years, rail fares have been frozen 🧊 It will mean Ipswich commuters with season tickets will save £500. Contrast that to the previous Conservative Government, where prices rose 63% between 2010-2024. It is an important measure to help ease the cost of living.

💬 HAVE YOUR SAY 💬 Ipswich will receive £1.5 million in funding over the next two years to revitalise our town centre. As your MP, I want to make sure your voice is at the heart of these decisions and I have launched a short survey to gather your thoughts and ideas 👇

It was a real pleasure to take part in the recent @coopparty.party.coop Annual Conference. I chaired two panels on grassroots growth and sustainable investment with some brilliant speakers, before having the privilege of introducing my friend, our Party's General Secretary, @fortunejf.bsky.social.

Ahead of the Budget, it was good to meet with leaders from a range of sectors in Ipswich. It was a really constructive conversation, as we discussed the progress we've made locally, and what we've got to do to address the challenges that face us. Huge thanks to @birketts.bsky.social for hosting.

Last year, I spoke in Parliament about how ticket touts are ripping off fans, and ripping out the heart of live events. It is welcome and important that our Government is shutting down this racket to make sure music, comedy, theatre and sport is affordable for everyone.

I would highly recommend the new Bread Bowl Bistro Café on St Nicholas Street. Their beef stew was exactly what was needed on a cold day like today.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted. Today on World Children’s Day, I am supporting the Bring Kids Back initiative - a call to rebuild young lives shattered by war. They must come home and be safely reunited with their families.

A year ago today... Ed Sheeran's surprise gig at the The Baths for kids from local schools - and Lisa Nandy and I! Since then, important campaigns have come to fruition, from expanding the music education curriculum to clamping down on ticket touting, both issues that Ed has championed.

It was a pleasure to meet the Caston's apprentices and hearing how they entered their careers in construction. There is a wealth of talent in Ipswich and Suffolk. Harnessing that potential will be an important part of driving our local economy forward.

🥊 The heavyweight champion of the world, made in Ipswich. Congratulations Fabio Wardley, you've done our town proud.

My priority as Ipswich’s MP is to restore pride and create a town centre that is safe, welcoming and thriving. Our Government's legislation - currently moving through Parliament - will empower councils to block unwanted businesses and introduce community right to buy and compulsory purchase powers.

Clear, Hold, Build is a tactic developed to tackle crime and build more resilient communities. It rebuilds the foundations of our communities, restores neighbourhood policing, invests in prevention, and deals with the root causes of crime. And it's working. My EADT / Ipswich Star column 👇

I loved being back at my old school, Debenham High School, to give the keynote speech at their Commemorative Assembly last night. It was really special to reflect and offer a few words of advice. Huge congratulations to the Class of 2025 who received awards and GCSE certificates.

🛍️ Earlier this week, Mark Hubert - owner of James St Peter's, an Ipswich Central board member, and the founder of the Ipswich Independents Group - and I attended a reception for SMEs held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, in Number 11 Downing Street.

Our Government's Defence Housing Strategy marks the biggest urgrade to armed forces family housing in over half a century. It will finally provide our armed forces and their families homes fit for heroes. My East Anglian Daily Times / Ipswich Star column 👇

Homes fit for heroes. I was delighted to meet with Alistair Carns, Minister for the Armed Forces, as our Labour Government launched the biggest upgrade to military housing in half a century. It means 5,000 homes in the East of England will be modernised, refurbished or rebuilt.

'It's Ipswich's time isn't it?' 'It's got a lot going for it.' 'It deserves it.' Grateful for the kind words of David Whiteley and Becky Jago on @itvanglia.bsky.social as we crank up Ipswich's culture bid. Great to be joined by some of our town's best creatives in Lily Hammond and Amy Wragg too!

I know the difference the Ipswich Town Foundation makes to our town, so I am proud to back the #EFLWeekOfAction and celebrate their incredible work. From their school programmes to the new Empower Hub in IP2, they are helping families and young people build brighter futures.

On Monday, I attended the Suffolk FutureSkills Fair which welcomed over 3,000 pupils from across Ipswich and Suffolk to explore career opportunities, meet employers and discover new skills. A huge thank you to all the businesses for their support, and @suffolknewcollege.bsky.social for hosting.

Co-operatives have a long and rich history in Ipswich and the East of England. They are rooted in their communities, keep wealth local, invest for the long-term and give people a genuine stake in their success. Pride in Place seeks to builds on these values by putting power back into local hands.

🐶 Research from the RSPCA has shown that 66% of animals are negatively impacted by private firework displays. Please #BeAKindSpark and Help Quieten the Noise by attending organised events 🎆🐾 Find out more by reading the RSPCA’s guide here: rspca.org.uk/fireworksImpact

From the right to request a pet to ending ‘no-fault’ evictions, our Labour Government is giving renters the security and stability they deserve. More than 12,000 households in Ipswich will benefit from stronger rental rights and protections. Promise made. Promise delivered.

'Culture. What culture?' Well... Award-winning parks, stunning waterfront, our iconic football club. New Wolsey Theatre, Danceeast, Red Rose Chain, Eastern Angles. Ipswich Museum, the Regent, Christchurch Mansion. Brighten the Corners, SPILL, Ipswich Book Festival, Ipswich Music Day...