I LOVE IPSWICH
Yesterday the Ipswich Star launched its 'I Love Ipswich' campaign to a packed audience, at UCS on the Waterfront.
It was a great start, putting our County Town at the heart of everything which is good about Suffolk. Of course we all know that the town needs to change, and this conference ended with firm commitments from private businesses, and local authorities to 'deliver' on various aspects.
I volunteered to help raise the town's profile nationally, supporting local and inward investment by emphasising the tremendous opportunities on our doorstep. Not only from the green energy coast, but from our proximity to London.
The future is not just about retail; the future will rely on providing a quality leisure 'offer' to attract people to our town.
The Conservatives recognised this early and transformed Ipswich during 7 years in charge, with investment in leisure, culture, and the town centre, as well as housing, and all those 'quality of life' indicators. Keeping Council Tax down was essential to that 'feel good' factor.
As Terry Hunt, Editor of the EADT, pointed out, the key to the new strategy will be encouraging a more positive outlook; stopping politicians opposing change for political gain. Labour opposed all the good things we did, but are now claiming credit - for Giles Circus, which was crucial to new stores like White Stuff coming to Ipswich, the investment in Crown Pools, new stores Waitrose and John Lewis Partnership, as well as the Maritime and Ip-Art Festivals.
Instead of always talking the town and our economy down, as Labour do, we must praise it and welcome the new jobs and development which were initiated by the Conservatives, and are now becoming a reality under Labour.
We all meet again in July to provide progress reports on our commitments. As the County Councillor responsible for Economy & Skills, I can tell you that we are already ahead of the game, creating a skills infrastructure to benefit the whole of Suffolk, and Ipswich, whilst focusing on inward investment.
We are in exciting times, and you can rely on the Conservatives to deliver on their promises, both locally and nationally. Restoring the economy, and keeping local taxes down to support growth.
Let us have your ideas to improve and develop our town's economy.