Shadow chancellor Ed Balls paid a flying visit to Suffolk’s county town yesterday to formally open its first new council homes for 20 years.

Mr Balls called into the home that Lakman Azez and Hero Ahmed are moving into on Whitton Church Lane, Ipswich, with their family.

It is one of a small group of council houses that have been built at Whitton – work on a major development behind Bader Close is due to start in the spring.

Mr Balls said as he handed over the keys to the house: “There is a real shortage of affordable homes being built under this government – and this is just the kind of development that the area and the country needs.

“This is the kind of development that the new Labour government will be encouraging after the 2015 election.”

The new homes are now almost complete and the first families are hoping to have moved into the Whitton homes by the weekend.

Mr Balls spent less than an hour in the town, taking time off from the House of Commons to visit his home region – he was brought up in Norwich.

Accompanied by Labour council leader – and candidate for Ipswich – David Ellesmere he laughed off the Prime Minister’s description of him as a turkey at Question Time during heated exchanges in the House of Commons.

Mr Balls said: “Coming from this region, I’m very proud of our turkeys! The important thing is how bootiful the turkey is! And it was a bit rich coming from a lame duck Prime Minister!”