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St Mary le Tower becomes Ipswich Minster in historic ceremony

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St Mary le Tower church has been redesignated as Ipswich Minster, joining the ranks of York and Westminster. The Grade II* listed church received its new status in a ceremony led by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

Why it matters: The redesignation recognises the church's significance to both Ipswich and the wider region, acknowledging its thousand-year role at the heart of the town's community.

St Mary-le-Tower Church
St Mary le Tower church has been redesignated as Ipswich MinsterHolly Woodward-Williams

Key details:

  • The Reverend Tom Mumford, vicar of Ipswich Minster, will lead the church

  • Members of all councils in Suffolk and Ipswich MP Jack Abbott attended the ceremony

  • Comedian and heritage campaigner Griff Rhys Jones delivered a speech at the service

What they're saying: "It's about rearticulating a sense of vocation to the town, and in many ways we will continue to do exactly what we've done for the last thousand years," said Rev Mumford. "But I hope we will do this now with a renewed sense of passion."

Bishop Martin Seeley, who led the service, said: "Creating the Minster is a challenge to all of us to say 'what's the part I can play in building up Ipswich?'"

Looking ahead: The church will play a central role in 2025 when Ipswich marks the 825th anniversary of being granted its Royal Charter by King John.

The bottom line: While the redesignation elevates the church's status, leaders emphasise it's about service rather than prestige, aiming to strengthen the institution's role in bringing the community together.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

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

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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.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

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