Ipswich MP wishes all a Merry Christmas in opinion column

All around Ipswich, people are gearing up to celebrate. Homes and businesses throughout town are decked out for the festive season, with lights and decorations all around.

I’ve recently been reviewing many impressive entries to my Christmas lights competition, and the winner will be announced soon.

Like last year, I’ve had my Christmas card designed by an Ipswich primary school student, and I received some amazing submissions from schoolchildren in Ipswich.

This has become one of my favourite traditions, and I had a great time visiting three local Ipswich schools to give out awards for some of the best ones.

The top prize this year went to 8 year-old Zulieka from Springfield School, who got a copy of her card signed by the Prime Minister. There’s so much talent among the young people in our town.

Carol services are back in full swing as well. A few weeks ago, I got to join the carols on the green at the Broke Hall estate, for what is either my third or fourth time. Like last time, it got to about five minutes before it was set to begin with only a few people about.

Then, all of a sudden, hundreds arrived. It was great to attend another wonderful festive event and raise money for a good cause.

Last week, I also got to attend carols at Shepherd Drive Baptist Church in Pinewood, and will even be going to another one at Cliff Lane. 

There’s no question that it has been a tough year, as we’ve dealt with the rising cost of living and high energy prices, Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, and strike action in a whole range of services going through the festive season.

Ipswich residents have had to sacrifice as part of the price to be paid for Putin’s war.

Rising costs from the action we’ve taken against Putin’s aggression have required tough choices from all of us, from households here in Ipswich all the way to the highest levels of government.

Meanwhile, the lingering effects of Covid on global supply chains and the restrictions that were in place in China until just recently have had a knock-on effect on prices and public finances as well.

So even though we in this country have moved past restrictions and the physical threat may be a lot less, Covid is still with us in a sense in the form of the lingering consequences from the actions we took to keep people safe.

There’s still a great deal of uncertainty about what the new year will bring. But when we think back to where we were a year ago, we can be assured that this Christmas will be a better one than the last few we’ve had.

Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago, but it was only just last winter that we were facing fears that the omicron Covid variant would force us to spend another Christmas under tight restrictions, kept two metres apart from our friends and family.

The year before, the idea of gathering with more than just a few people almost seemed like something from another era.

I personally had spend Christmas alone last year after testing positive for Covid, and I know I wasn’t the only one.

Thankfully, the success of our vaccination campaign has allowed us to finally beat the virus that loomed large over our lives for two whole years.

It took so much work and sacrifice from our NHS carers, our researchers, and ordinary people in Ipswich and all through the country.

But we proved that we are stronger than Covid, and this year we have finally been able to enjoy so many of the things that we missed during the pandemic.

So, it really feels like Christmas is especially well-deserved this year. It’s great to see Ipswich coming together to rekindle so many of the traditions that had to be put on hold over the last two years.

Even in spite of all the uncertainty about many issues, at least the prospect of Christmas being cancelled isn’t one of them this year.

This Christmas, I hope everyone in Ipswich will be able to take a break from it all and spend time with their loved ones to celebrate.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what the year ahead will bring. The cost of living, the war in Ukraine, and worries about a recession still loom large.

King Charles will give his first Christmas speech.

But there are also things to look forward to, like the coronation of King Charles in May. Like so many around the country, listening to the Queen’s Christmas message was a real tradition, part of the Christmas Day routine.

Especially in the last two years, when many of us were alone during the pandemic, it really felt like she entered our homes and lifted our spirits at a time when things felt pretty bleak.

The fact that she won’t be giving it this year will really drive home the fact she’s no longer with us, but I look forward to hearing our new King carry on the tradition and deliver his first message this Christmas.

When we think about where we were last year, we can be thankful that this will be a better Christmas than last.

We’ll be able to enjoy it with our loved ones and with more freedoms than we’ve had for many years.

In the meantime, I wish everyone in Ipswich a happy and peaceful Christmas. We’ve earned it.