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Queues as London Road down to one lane for street light repairs

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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

Drivers face delays on London Road in Ipswich as street light repairs force a lane closure between Lidl and West End Road until tomorrow.

Why it matters: The works, which are scheduled to finish tomorrow, have reduced traffic to one lane, causing traffic to build up from Civic Drive roundabout and along Handford Road and London Road outbound towards the A12.

Roadworks on London Road, Ipswich
Roadworks on London Road, IpswichOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The big picture: The lane closure is in place for minor street light repairs, causing:

  • Single-lane operation between Lidl and West End Road

  • Slow-moving traffic heading out of town

  • Bus stop suspension outside Lidl

  • Long queues, particularly during peak times

The impact: Delays have been reported throughout the day, with longer waiting times expected during busy periods.

Bottom line: While the repairs are minor, the lane closure on this key route out of Ipswich is causing significant delays for drivers heading towards the A12. Allow extra time when travelling, especially during peak times.

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

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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

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

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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