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

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Government promises named police officers for every Ipswich neighbourhood

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Ipswich's only independent news website

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

A new government initiative will give every neighbourhood in Ipswich a named, contactable police officer. The plan also includes funding for 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs, and special constables across England and Wales.

Why it matters: The move aims to restore public confidence in policing, which has declined in recent years as neighbourhood officers have been pulled off the beat to cover shortages elsewhere.

The big picture: The government is investing £100 million in what it calls the "Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee," focusing on:

  • Putting visible officers back on local streets

  • Making police more responsive to community issues

  • Tackling anti-social behaviour

  • Creating safer town centres

Members of Ipswich's Romanian community joined police and council officials on Cornhill today
There has been a noticeable increase in community engagement from local police and community support officers in recent monthsSuffolk Constabulary

By the numbers:

  • 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables to be added

  • £100 million in new funding

  • The proportion of people seeing regular police foot patrols has halved since 2010

  • The number of Police Community Support Officers has dropped by 50% since 2010

What they're saying: "The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver 13,000 extra neighbourhood police, visible on your streets, cracking down on anti-social behaviour. A named, contactable officer in every community," Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added: "This marks a return to the founding principles of British policing - where officers are part of the communities they serve."

Key changes:

  • Every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer

  • Residents and businesses can help shape local policing priorities

  • Each police force will have a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead

  • Officers will be protected from being deployed to other duties

  • New career pathway for neighbourhood policing

Bottom line: While £100 million has been committed to this nationwide policing overhaul, the true measure of success will be whether Ipswich residents see more officers on their streets and feel safer in their communities.

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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!

If you value strong, free, independent local media that fights tirelessly for our town, please consider contributing just £24 per year

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