General election will bring in big changes to Suffolk's political landscape

This year's general election will see the biggest change in Suffolk's political map for a generation with major changes to the county's political map.

The first cross-county constituency in the region has been created with Waveney Valley incorporating parts of Suffolk and Norfolk.

Ipswich is the only seat to be unchanged by the Boundary Commission - and the county will have at least three new MPs after the election.

Waveney Valley, of which 60% is in Suffolk, will have one and both West Suffolk and Central Suffolk and North Ipswich will have new MPs as both Matt Hancock and Dr Dan Poulter are not seeking re-election.

As well as the creation of the Waveney Valley seat there are also significant  changes for the Waveney (now called Lowestoft) seat, Suffolk Coastal, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk seats. South Suffolk loses Clare and Cavendish to West Suffolk and will now share Babergh's borders.

Several seats in Suffolk will be of interest during the election campaign.

The most marginal is Ipswich where Conservative Tom Hunt is defending a majority of  5,479 - but that is the largest Tory majority seen in the town since the war. Labour's Jack Abbott has hopes of regaining a seat it only lost in 2019.

Labour also hopes to win in Lowestoft with Jessica Asato. Peter Aldous is defending a majority of 18,002 in the old Waveney seat - but is losing some rural areas which makes it more challenging.

Labour held the seat from 1997 to 2010.

Waveney Valley is one of the top Green targets in the country - its candidate there is co-leader Adrian Ramsay who will be taking on Conservative Richard Rout.

In West Suffolk former Theresa May advisor Nick Timothy has been chosen as Tory candidate.

There is still no Conservative candidate chosen for Central Suffolk  and North Ipswich  after the defection of sitting MP Dr Dan Poulter to Labour last month.