Ipswich Community Media has been awarded £10,000 in Government funding through the Common Ground Award. This is an amazing organisation that is changing people's lives, using music, media, the creative arts and education to challenge inequality and empower communities.

This is really welcome news: nearly 60 much needed specialist school places are being created in Ipswich. The Bridge School, which currently educates nearly 200 children and young people in our town, has had 57 new places approved by the Government.

The £5.1 million investment to provide families in Ipswich and Suffolk with earlier support and faster access to SEND services is a hugely welcome announcement from our Government. Not just because of the level of funding - which is significant - but because of where it is focused.

Chronic illnesses like endometriosis are receiving long overdue focus in our Government’s Women’s Health Strategy. Women are waiting years for diagnosis and there are no specialist services in Suffolk. They need faster access to better treatment and care.

£𝟏.𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 I’m delighted to have worked with our Labour Government to secure vital investment for Suffolk New College.

£𝟏𝟑 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐩𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 Our Government's £13 million investment in Ipswich’s new diagnostic centre is a massive boost for our town and a clear step forward in getting our NHS back on its feet.

I'm delighted £1 million has been secured for culture in Ipswich. Our Government's 'Arts Everywhere' invests in places that bring our communities together. Our libraries and theatres are the heart of our town. This funding will ensure they're not only protected, but transformed for the future too.

Holi, the Festival of Colour, came to Ipswich this afternoon. Hundreds and hundreds of people had such a wonderful time in a sunny Alexandra Park. Thank you to the Ipswich & Suffolk Indian Association and Ipswich Borough Council for hosting such an amazing event, once again.

This is really welcome news. @eastenglandamb.bsky.social has achieved its fastest average response time for serious emergencies, reaching patients more quickly than at any other time in the past five years. A huge thank you to the hard-working ambulance team across our region.

I was delighted to secure £20 million for Stoke Park and south-west Ipswich through our Labour Government's Pride in Place programme. This is a game-changer, not just because of the amount of money involved, but because it will be local people who decides how it is invested.

NEW: Labour is tackling the cost-of-living crisis for leaseholders in Ipswich. Every year homeowners pay £600 million in ground rent. Labour’s Commonhold and Leasehold Bill: • Caps ground rents at £250 • Reduces these to a peppercorn over time • Ends the scandal of forfeiture

This is fantastic news for Ipswich. Our town's new Youth Hub will help our young people get into work, gain new skills and access the support they need to build their future. There are real opportunities here in Ipswich, and this Youth Hub will help connect even more young people to them.

My piece for Parliament Politics Magazine about an emerging scandal in our country. Endometriosis is a chronic illness which causes many women debilitating pain, agony and trauma, yet access to the specialist services needed to diagnose and treat it properly are out of reach.

Our Ipswich Labour team was out in sunny Rushmere this weekend! Labour is investing in Ipswich: - £40m in Pride in Place funding - £1.5m for 30 community projects - Regent and Ipswich Museum refurbs - Enhancing spaces like Arras Square - Bringing buildings back into use - Money for a new youth hub

A culture has been allowed to develop where women living in pain is seen as acceptable, as something normal to be expected. That should never have happened. We cannot let the next generation of women with endometriosis be failed too. That's why I raised this critical issue in Parliament.

Our Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to create the first smoke-free generation. We also need to prevent children from getting hooked on vaping by banning vape advertising and selling vapes in vending machines, as well as restricting flavours, packaging and displays.

I always enjoy visiting @suffolknewcollege.bsky.social to talk to students about their ambitions and hopes for the future. Their talent, creativity and ambition perfectly reflect why Ipswich’s City of Culture bid matters so much.

I am delighted that our Labour Government has backed an ambitious future for Suffolk, creating three new unitary councils, Greater Ipswich, East Suffolk and West Suffolk.

I feel privileged to stand alongside these incredible women who are battling for endometriosis to finally be taken seriously. Monica, Faye, Zoe, Evie, Evie, Siana and Kelly should be really proud of this moment, but the fight for specialist services continues. I'll be right there with them.

There are two roads ahead of us. Fear. Division. Decline. Or. Hope. Ambition. Pride. People will come to Ipswich to talk it down and look to drive us apart, selling easy answers and not caring about the destruction they leave behind. We should remember where that path leads.

A lovely sunny weekend talking to residents across Ipswich. In Bridge with our wonderful candidate, Polly Ford, then Alexandra and Holywells with our Ipswich Labour team. Another team was out in St John's today too. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with us.

⏲️ A massive week for Ipswich, packed into 30 seconds! - Funding for 30 community projects - Through to the next stage of the City of Culture competition - Launch of Halo Festival at Trinity Park - £40 million in new Pride in Place funding Work to do, but lots of positive things happening.

A good week. Getting stuff done. Like everywhere, our town has its challenges, but rather than just moaning about them, I'm going to keep working to solve them. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and positive. Together, we are building a new future for Ipswich.

Incredible news to round off an amazing week for Ipswich. Halo Festival will have some of the UK's biggest bands playing in front of 10,000 people. Another example of our town's thriving arts and culture scene. Thank you to the Halo team for backing Ipswich. #TeamIpswich2029 #CityOfCulture2029

A message Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed MP, about the Government's £20 million Pride in Place funding coming to Ipswich 👇

I’ve been fighting for our town – and that hard work is paying off. £20 million will be invested directly into Stoke Park and south-west Ipswich through our Government's Pride in Place programme. Local residents will decide how this money is spent. This is genuinely transformational.

DONE DEAL! I'm delighted to have secured £20 million in Pride in Place funding from our Government. It's an enormous package of support for Stoke Park, with benefits set to be felt across Chantry and south-west Ipswich. This is a landmark moment that will change people's lives.

I spoke to the Secretary of State, Steve Reed MP, about our plans for the £1.5 million Pride in Place funding received from Government, with 30 community projects set to benefit. However, I continued to press for further support for Ipswich. When our town is backed, we deliver.

Ipswich's City of Culture bid is about attracting new people and investment into our town. But it is also about opportunity. Potential. Unity. Energy. Community. Ambition. Pride. Hope. We are building a new future for our town. Be part of the change and #BackTheBid: www.ipswich2029.com

🌹 Ipswich's arts and culture scene is flourishing. We've got so much to look forward to this year: the Constable 250, the BTC All Dayer, the Ipswich Book Festival and so much more. Fingers crossed, Ipswich Town FC will get promoted this summer too! Our town is on the up and I'm so proud.

This is fantastic news for Ipswich and a huge moment for everyone who has worked so hard to get us here. Being longlisted in this highly competitive national competition shows the strength of this town’s story and the talent, creativity and ambition that exists here.

We're in. I'm delighted Ipswich has made it through to the next stage of the City of Culture competition. This is a testament to our thriving arts and culture scene and the efforts of so many people. There's work ahead, but we should celebrate this moment. #CityOfCulture2029 #TeamIpswich2029

☀️ Rise and shine, Ipswich - I've got some great news for you. Our town has made it through to the next stage of the City of Culture competition! There is a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we should be really proud of this achievement. #TeamIpswich2029 #CityOfCulture2029

#Ipswich 2029 anyone?

I was delighted to secure £1.5 million from our Government for Pride in Place funding for Ipswich. I'm pleased we're moving quickly to get this money out into our communities, and 30 projects across our town have been recommended for approval. They'll make a real difference.

Our Government's Pride in Place programme is an opportunity to deliver real improvements that'll make a lasting difference to people in Ipswich. I'm delighted to have secured this money for our town and we're making sure £1.5 million goes a long way by funding 30 community projects across our town.

JOIN MY TEAM! I'm hiring for two roles in my team - a Senior Parliamentary Assistant based in Westminster and a Caseworker in Ipswich. Please send a CV and covering letter to [email protected] by Thursday 19th March or go to www.w4mpjobs.org for more details.

My thoughts are with Karlie Sone's family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time, especially her two young daughters. I know this will be deeply felt across our town. Karlie was just 28 years old, her life cut senselessly short. It is a heartbreaking tragedy.

The proposed upgrades for Hawthorn Drive Shopping Parade will make a positive difference. The improvements will create a more accessible and welcoming space, with better paving, additional parking and new trees and seating that will brighten the area for shoppers and local businesses alike.

I've met the Health Sec. to discuss my concerns about the CQC report rating Ipswich Hospital as 'requires improvement' with very long waits for some patients. Local residents should have the best possible care and, although staff are working incredibly hard, it's clear improvements must be made.

By combining regeneration with investment in skills and education, this project will open up new opportunities for local people while bringing an empty town centre space back into use. I’m proud to support a development that preserves an important landmark and invests in the future of our town.

I have met with the Post Office and am pleased to say that they remain committed to retaining a main Post Office branch for Ipswich. There has been good interest in hosting a new replacement branch and, although these things can take time, I hope there will be positive news soon.

The situation we are seeing now is largely the result of Suffolk County Council’s ‘do nothing’ approach since the they cancelled work on the Ipswich Northern Bypass half a decade ago. It is clear that continued inaction is a deliberate choice to harm long-term interests of our town and county.

Our Government's new consultation on protecting children online is now live. It covers social media, gaming platforms and AI chatbots. I've been speaking to Ministers about this for some time, but I want parents and young people in Ipswich to share their views: www.gov.uk/government/c...

It was a privilege to join friends and neighbours for Ipswich Mosque's community Iftar last night. I am so grateful for their warm welcome and hospitality. Now more than ever, we must look to bring people together, heal divisions and foster greater understanding.

I was so pleased to visit CHip in their new home. Vibrant, creative and trusted spaces like this are crucial. Credit to Dr Sachin Karale for being community minded and finding this solution. I'd encourage other landlords who own empty units to do the same and be part of the change for our town.

Despite the mizzly conditions, we had a great Ipswich Labour team meeting residents across South East Ipswich today. Potholes, anti-social behaviour, the Orwell Bridge, the town centre and home education were the issues raised with me. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to us.

I was delighted to bring Google Digital Garage to Ipswich. Free digital skills and AI training were provided to 50 local businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them understand new trends, tool up, attract new customers, and grow. A huge thank you to the University of Suffolk for hosting.

BTC ALL DAYER!!! Brighten the Corners' new FREE one-day festival in Ipswich on Sat 25 April! Local talent playing in pubs, venues and community spaces across the town centre. Can't. Wait. Credit to Ipswich Central for supporting this. Full info: www.brightenthecorners.co.uk/events/btc-a...

This is a good example of the important progress that is being made to tackle crime in Ipswich and Suffolk, but also the hard and often painstaking work often involved. The result? - 3 cannabis factories shut down - Seizure of cocaine with a street value of £1.5m - Prosecution of career criminals