With a general election right around the corner, here are the issues residents in Ipswich care about.
Although much different from its inception, the history of Ipswich as a constituency can be traced back to the fourteenth century.
Over the past few election cycles, voters have gone back and forth between electing Tory and Labour representatives, with the borough becoming blue in 2019.
I visited streets in and around Ipswich town centre to ask residents what their top three concerns were ahead of polling day on July 4.
The town had a much busier feel than other parts of the county, with residents rushing to get from one point to another — nevertheless, 26 voters did stop to have a chat.
A range of issues cropped up during the conversations, although one was clearly at the top of voters’ list — the NHS.
In total, 20 people shared their concerns about how the state of the service, these included 12 who said waiting times needed to be lowered, five said there was a desperate need for more dentists, and the remaining three argued the service as a whole was on its knees.
Many residents also seemed to be still feeling a significant financial pinch as sixteen mentioned the cost of living as a particular point of interest, with concerns ranging from unaffordable rents (4), the price of food (4), high energy bills (3), low pensions (3), and the need for better benefits (2).
Trailing right behind was the need to invest in the regeneration of the town centre with ten mentions, half of which said Ipswich lacked shops and had too many empty units.
Several other problems came up fairly often, such as education (7) — with concerns over SEND particularly being mentioned three times — crime and antisocial behaviour (7), the environment (5), and the need for fairer taxes (5).
Cropping up very sparingly, on the other hand, were issues such as the lack of opportunities for young people (3), neglected roads (3), transport (1), homelessness (1), and immigration (1).
Asked whether they had already decided who to vote for, Ipswich residents seemed to be split, with 15 saying they had their minds set on someone and 11 saying they remained on the fence, perhaps reflecting how different parties have been elected to represent them in recent years.
Although those who spoke to me were not representative of the constituency as a whole, and candidates might have had a different experience on the doorstep, their responses gave a flavour of what’s on voters’ minds ahead of the ballots.
So, what do candidates think?
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