Column 24.07.26 - Jack Abbott spends the summer going out into all corners of Ipswich meeting people where they live

As the Member of Parliament for Ipswich, I have always made it a priority to always listen to the people I represent. 

Being an MP means making decisions on behalf of your constituents and using your judgment to act in their interests, but I know I can never have all the answers.  

Throughout the year, I hold regular advice surgeries, talk to residents on a Saturday morning, and visit community events, schools, charities and businesses.  

However, with Parliament on recess for the summer, it gives me the opportunity to be at home permanently, providing an even greater opportunity to get out and about and find out how people are thinking and feeling. 

Last year, as well as running my two-week summer school for young people in Ipswich and Suffolk, I hosted a number of community meetings, each with a different theme. 

People told me about the state of housing in our town, about the impact that Orwell Bridge closures have on their daily lives and their concerns about crime. 

I heard personal stories about the difficulties of getting a GP appointment or accessing women’s health services. I listened to parents sharing heartbreaking stories of how Suffolk’s broken SEND system had failed their children.

I had many productive, solutions-oriented discussions, talking not only about the challenges facing Ipswich, but working out the ways to address them, together.

I have used these exchanges to shape my work, both in Westminster and here in Ipswich.

Having those conversations helped me better understand the issues that matter most to people in Ipswich. I know that has made me a better advocate for them, and a better MP.  

That is why I wanted to do it again. 

This summer, I will be back out across Ipswich with more community meetings. 

Whereas last year the meetings were specifically issues based, this year I want to know what is affecting you and your family right on your doorstep, in your local neighbourhood. 

Whether you are concerned about housing, transport, health services, crime and safety, our schools, or something else entirely, I want to hear from you. 

I want these meetings to be accessible to people across our town. That is why I will be holding them in different parts of Ipswich, so that I will be coming to people where they live. 

I will be in North East Ipswich on Thursday 30 July from 5.30pm to 7pm, followed by South West Ipswich on Friday 31 July from 3.30pm to 5pm. 

I will then be holding meetings for Central Ipswich on Wednesday 12 August from 5.30pm to 7pm, and South East Ipswich on Wednesday 19 August from 5.30pm to 7pm. 

I am also inviting local councillors and support agencies, so if you are worried about something, dealing with a problem, or struggling to access a service, you will be able to speak to people who may be able to help with the issues you are facing. 

Equally, you do not need to have a specific concern or problem to come along. If there is something you care about, something that is affecting your family, I want to hear from you. 

I feel a huge sense of responsibility being Ipswich’s representative in Westminster, but I do everything I can to represent people here at home too by being present, being accessible and able to listen to you. 

As with last year, the conversations I have this summer will directly inform the work I do over the coming months. They will give me the opportunity to take the stories I have heard back to Parliament and shape the conversations I have with government ministers, but also to advocate for you locally, whether that is with Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council or other organisations. 

I am looking forward to spending the coming weeks at home full-time, and I look forward to seeing you this summer. I want to hear your concerns – and I want to help.