One of the best-known shadow cabinet ministers has visited Ipswich to give Labour’s David Ellesmere a boost on the first day of the official campaign.

Energy spokeswoman Caroline Flint joined party workers in the Maidenhall area of the town as they went out to identify potential voters.

And she said it was vital to elect an MP for the town who understood the concerns of the voters back in the constituency.

“An MP needs to be able to relate to the voters who have put him into that position, to understand their needs and concerns. And it is also vital that those concerns are brought to Westminster.”

She said the Labour Party was best-placed to represent the hopes and fears of voters: “Polls maybe unclear generally – but one thing is clear is that people feel Ed Miliband understands the concerns of ordinary people much better than David Cameron.”

As shadow energy secretary, Ms Flint has been heavily involved in the Labour Party’s proposal to freeze energy bills until 2017 if it is elected into government.

And she also gave her backing to proposals for a third nuclear power station at Sizewell.

She said: “As Energy and Climate Change secretary, Ed Miliband recognised that a nuclear element was vital to reduce our reliance on carbon when it comes to generating power.

“We want to see this expanded. And with its experienced workforce in the area, this is an obvious area for another plant to be built.

“But we also have to look at making energy more affordable for consumers which is why we are proposing the freeze on bills.”

Mr Ellesmere said having a well-known face join him on the doorsteps was a real boost for the campaign.

He said: “People always seem happy to see that we are taking the trouble to find out what they thinking, to give them the chance to say what is on their mind.

“When you have someone like Caroline that is a real bonus because people can see that someone right at the top of the party has come out to see them in the area – and that brings home the message that politics isn’t something that is completely remote from them.”