Editing Ipswich (section)

==Governance==
{{Main|Ipswich Borough Council}}
The Municipal Borough of Ipswich was created in 1836<ref>{{cite web |title=Ipswich Boundaries |url=https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/ipswich-boundaries |website=heritage.suffolk.gov.uk |publisher=Suffolk County Council |access-date=1 August 2021 |language=en-gb}}</ref> by the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wodderspoon |first1=John |title=Memorials of the Ancient of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk |date=1850 |publisher=Longmans; and J. R. Smith |location=Ipswich |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONVUAAAAcAAJ |language=en}}</ref> It was the form of [[local government]] for the [[ancient borough]] of Ipswich until the [[Local Government Act 1888]] replaced it with the County Borough of Ipswich in 1889. Both originated from the [[ancient borough]] of Ipswich. The local authority was [[Ipswich Corporation]]. Following the passage of the [[Reform Act 1832]], the government set up a [[Royal Commission]] in July 1833 to investigate how local councils worked.<ref name="RC on MCs">{{cite web |last1=Bloy |first1=Marjie |title=Royal Commission on Municipal Corporations (1835) |url=http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/politics/muncorp.htm |website=www.historyhome.co.uk |publisher=Marjie Bloy |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> In 1974 it was replaced by the non-metropolitan district of Ipswich and [[Ipswich Borough Council]] became the local authority, with county council duties fulfilled by [[Suffolk County Council]].

Following the [[Local Government Act 1888]], the county of [[Suffolk]] outside of Ipswich was split into [[East Suffolk (county)|East Suffolk]] and [[West Suffolk (county)|West Suffolk]] for administrative purposes and the term [[administrative county]] was introduced. There was a level of continuity as Ipswich was still run by the [[Ipswich Corporation]], independently from East Suffolk (which surrounded it), although the county council was based in Ipswich at [[East Suffolk County Hall]].

In 1974 following the [[Local Government Act 1972]] and Ipswich became a [[non-metropolitan district]] with [[Borough status in the United Kingdom|borough status]] in the administrative county of [[Suffolk]] with the same boundaries as the abolished county borough.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1972/2039/schedule/part/35/made|title=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|publisher=[[legislation.gov.uk]]|accessdate=19 July 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Ipswich borough council offices.jpg|thumb|Ipswich Borough Council offices at [[Grafton House]], on [[Russell Road (Ipswich)|Russell Road]]]]

Ipswich is governed locally by a two-tier council system. [[Ipswich Borough Council]] fulfils [[non-metropolitan district|district council]] functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning and [[Suffolk County Council]] provides the [[County Council|county council]] services such as transport, education and social services.

The town is covered by two parliamentary constituencies: [[Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)|Ipswich]], which is represented by Labour MP [[Jack Abbott (politician)|Jack Abbott]] and covers about 75% of the town, and [[Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)|Central Suffolk & North Ipswich]], which covers the remaining 25% and is represented by Conservative MP [[Patrick Spencer]].

In April 2006 the [[Non-metropolitan district|borough]] council initiated public discussions about the idea of turning the borough into a [[Unitary authority#United Kingdom|unitary authority]];<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Richard Atkins |last2=David Ellesmere |last3=Elizabeth Harsant |date=1 April 2006 |title=The case for a unitary Ipswich |url=http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/53E3AEE4-359D-4226-8AAF-2E985FF49140/0/unitary.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031022547/http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/53E3AEE4-359D-4226-8AAF-2E985FF49140/0/unitary.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2008 |access-date=24 April 2013 |publisher=Ipswich Borough Council}}</ref> Ipswich had constituted a [[county borough]] from 1889 to 1974, independent of the administrative county of [[East Suffolk (county)|East Suffolk]], and this status was not restored by the [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)|Banham/Cooksey Commission]] in the 1990s. Ipswich, Norwich, [[Exeter]] and [[Oxford]] united to campaign for unitary authority status for the four towns. In March 2007, it was announced that Ipswich was one of 16 shortlisted councils.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 March 2007 |title=Town council unitary bid success |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6498791.stm |url-status=live |access-date=4 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825135348/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6498791.stm |archive-date=25 August 2007}}</ref> In December 2007 plans were put into doubt as the government announced that it had "delayed" the unitary bids for Ipswich and Exeter.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 December 2007 |title=Unitary bid put on hold |url=http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/eveningstar/news/story.aspx?brand=ESTOnline&category=News&tBrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED05%20Dec%202007%2012%3A25%3A01%3A000 |work= Evening Star 24 |access-date=29 December 2007}}</ref> In July 2008 the [[Boundary Committee for England|Boundary Committee]] announced its preferred option was for a unitary authority covering Ipswich and the south eastern corner of Suffolk, including Felixstowe.<ref>[http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/56659/Report-on-Norfolk-Suffolk-review-web.pdf Draft proposals for unitary local government in Norfolk and Suffolk] Boundary Committee {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202223946/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/56659/Report-on-Norfolk-Suffolk-review-web.pdf |date=2 December 2008 }}</ref>