The appalling murder of a young woman has shocked our town. It is a tragedy that someone with so many years ahead of them - at just 26 - should lose their life in such a tragic way.

My thoughts and condolences are with her family and her loved ones, especially her three young children. I cannot even begin to imagine how you must be feeling.

I want to thank the police and the emergency services for their response. I know they have worked around the clock to ensure that the person responsible faces the full force of the law.

Although an arrest has been made, I would still urge anyone with information that may help the police progress this murder investigation to contact them, quoting CAD 330 of August 6 2024.

However, please do refrain from online speculation whilst the investigation is still ongoing. Doing so has the potential to harm the case, and I know we all want the perpetrator brought to justice for this horrific crime.

What makes this already devastating incident even more heart-wrenching is that it is the latest in a long and growing list of similar crimes. According to the Guardian, in the UK, a man has killed a woman on average every three days over the last few years.

Every year, to mark International Women’s Day in Parliament, my colleague Jess Phillips reads out the names of those murdered women. It is no wonder that Jess told Parliament this year that, after nine years, she was “tired and weary” of this terrible yearly event.

I know that people across Ipswich share these sentiments. That is why it was so important for Keir Starmer to use his first King’s Speech as Prime Minister to reiterate his pledge to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

Our new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has promised that this violence will be “treated as a national emergency”. Indeed, this tragic murder shows just how important it is that we all deliver on this pledge. The price of failure is far too high.

When they are brought before Parliament, I will support the new government’s plans for tougher enforcement and sentencing, and overhauling our police’s ability to tackle domestic violence and sexual offences.

However, we also need to tackle this problem at source. In an era where social media is swimming in misogynistic hate, we must ensure our young people are fully-equipped, educated and protected against this too.

Because, it doesn’t matter what colour rosette you wear - we all want to see more action, not words. It is incumbent on us all to ensure that no more victims are added to the list of women killed by violence next International Women’s Day.

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I was deeply saddened to learn that Albert Grant OBE passed away this week.

Albert was a trailblazer, serving as the first black mayor of Ipswich and as a local councillor for more than a quarter of a century. This is not to mention his unstinting work in fighting for equality and justice.

He was a dedicated public servant, a passionate campaigner, and a hero to so many people. That is evident from the number of heartfelt tributes that have been paid to him over the past few days.

Albert was an incredible man who committed his life to helping other people. He will be missed greatly. But, he leaves a remarkable legacy and will continue to inspire people for years to come.

Jack Abbott is Labour MP for Ipswich