Designer fashion store Flannels has opened its doors in Ipswich's Buttermarket, marking the first of five Frasers Group shops planned for the former BHS building.
The big picture: The opening marks a significant change for the building, which has stood empty since BHS closed in 2016.
FLANNELS is now open on Buttermarket, IpswichOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
Why it matters: The development represents a major investment in Ipswich's town centre, with Flannels occupying the majority of the ground floor space.
Key details:
The 743sq m (8,000sq ft) store opened on 31 October.
Four more retailers are set to join Flannels in the building: Sports Direct, GAME, Evans Cycles and USC.
Work began at the end of July following planning approval.
Signage and roller shutters were approved in September.
What's next: Sports Direct is expected to open before the end of the year, with GAME temporarily operating from the former H&M building in Tavern Street ahead of its move.
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 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 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.
