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Anti-parental alienation campaigner concludes tour at Ipswich Crown Court

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PAPA founder Simon Cobb completed his eight-leg Death Penalty Campaign demonstration at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, with displays set to remain until February 25.

Why it matters: The demonstration is part of a wider campaign by People Against Parental Alienation (PAPA) to "raise awareness of the untimely deaths linked to contact denial and parental alienation."

PAPA founder Simon Cobb at Ipswich Crown Court
PAPA founder Simon Cobb at Ipswich Crown CourtSimon CobbPAPA

The details: The Ipswich demonstration marks the final location in an eight-venue campaign across East Anglia and the East Midlands.

  • A sign reading "Say no to the death penalty: Loving your child is not a crime!" was installed outside the courthouse, along with flower wreaths.

  • Previous demonstrations were held at courts in Peterborough, Leicester, Boston, Nottingham, King's Lynn, Cambridge, and Bury St Edmunds.

The bigger picture: PAPA's stated mission includes:

  • Providing free support and resources for affected parents

  • Promoting equal parenting rights after separation

  • Campaigning for legislative changes around parental alienation

  • Creating deterrents for false allegations

  • Raising awareness of parental alienation issues

  • Reducing stigma around men's mental health

What's next: The campaign materials will remain at Ipswich Crown Court until February 25. Cobb hopes to take the demonstrations to Norwich and Huntingdon, but dates have not been confirmed.

The bottom line: The demonstration is part of PAPA's wider mission to raise awareness about parental alienation and campaign for changes to family court processes. You can find out more about PAPA on their website.

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Farage more trusted than Starmer in East of England, latest poll finds

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Ipswich.co.uk Logomark in a circle

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We publish the stories that matter and champion everything that's good about our town – without the ads, popups or tracking

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is more trusted to represent the UK internationally than PM Keir Starmer among East of England voters, new polling reveals.

Why it matters: The findings highlight a significant decline in trust for the main party leaders in the region less than a year after the general election.

The poll, conducted by communications agency PLMR and Electoral Calculus, shows Farage ranked highest among named leaders at 19% in the East of England, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer (13%), Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (6%) and Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (5%).

Nigel Farage
Nigel FarageAlamy

The bigger picture: One in three voters (33%) in the region responded "none of the above" when asked which political figure they would trust most, suggesting a broader decline in overall trust in UK political leaders.

By the numbers: The same poll indicates Reform UK would become the largest party in the region if an election were held tomorrow:

  • Reform: 21 seats

  • Conservatives: 10 seats

  • Labour: 4 seats

  • Liberal Democrats: 2 seats

  • Greens: 1 seat

In contrast: Nationally, Farage and Starmer are tied at 16% among those who named a preference, highlighting a more polarised national picture, with the Reform UK leader building more trust with voters in the East of England specifically.

What they're saying: "This polling highlights a significant decline in trust for the two main party leaders among East of England voters when it comes to representing the UK on the international stage," said Tim Miller , Managing Director of PLMR Genesis , the East of England branch of PLMR.

Reform and Nigel Farage have seemingly been able to capitalise on this and it's now translating into voting intentions, with the Party set to overtake Labour and the Conservatives in the region with the largest number of seats – a seismic political shift.

Between the lines: The poll suggests Reform would make strong gains across the region, potentially taking seats from both major parties:

  • Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket from Labour

  • Essex: Braintree from the Conservatives and Thurrock from Labour

  • Cambridgeshire: North East from the Conservatives and North West from Labour

  • Norfolk: North West from the Conservatives and South West from Labour

Tim Miller on a backdrop of Ipswich from above and political party colour overlays
Tim Miller of PLMR GenesisOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The national outlook: The survey of 5,180 adults showed Reform securing 25% of the vote share nationally, compared to 23% each for Labour and the Conservatives. This would translate to 227 seats for Reform, 180 for Labour and 130 for the Conservatives.

The bottom line: "If Labour wants to keep Reform at bay, hold onto the gains they made in the East of England and remain in government in four year's time, the Party needs to focus on getting their message across more clearly to voters and instil confidence in their domestic agenda," Miller concluded.

Oliver Rouane-Williams speaking with an elderly couple in the town centre

We can't do this without you!

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