Keir's first year: Starmer under pressure after a rocky start for Labour
Sir Keir was accused of setting a gloomy tone at the outset, telling the public that 'things will get worse before they get better' and warning of 'tough choices' and a 'black hole' left in the finances by his predecessors.
Soon after, a plan was unveiled to cut back winter fuel payments for pensioners, only for an enduring backlash to see the Government U-turn and widen eligibility months later.
This and the recent climbdown over plans for welfare cuts to stave off a backbench rebellion have raised the prospect of further tax rises in the autumn budget as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books.
It has also raised the prospect of rebellious MPs being emboldened to continue pushing back on future policy, putting Sir Keir's plans at risk.
When it comes to whether voters like him, Sir John has argued that the Government has a 'lack of direction' and that the Prime Minister was 'never especially popular' and that 'the public still don't know what he stands for.'
'The only vision he's really presented is: 'We'll fix the problems the Conservatives left us.' But it's not clear how he wants to change the country,' he told Times Radio.
Sir Keir has acknowledged the 'challenge' of 'getting our story across'.
'If I was to list to you all the things we've done, it's a big long list of things. [But] how do we tell the story of what we've done? How do we make sure it's actually felt by working people?' he said in an interview with The Times.
He also said he took 'ownership' of all decisions made by his Government, and that he did not get to grips with the growing rebellion over welfare reforms earlier as he was focused on international affairs.
Although that rebellion was eventually reduced from 126 MPs to just 49, it required extensive concessions and marked the biggest revolt of his premiership so far, just days before he celebrated his first year in office.
He has played a balancing act on the world stage, strengthening ties with the EU while courting US President Donald Trump, who he wooed with an invitation for a second state visit to the UK when they met in the White House.
The football-loving Prime Minister lists a 'hat-trick' of deals – an EU 'reset', a deal with India, and an agreement for relief from Mr Trump's tariffs which has been partially implemented – among his key achievements.
Sir Keir said he took 'ownership' of all decisions made by his Government (Kin Cheung/PA)
He also touts his commitment to get defence spending up to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – and the new Nato defence and security spending pledge of 5% of GDP by 2035.
At home, he is battling the rise of Reform UK.
A YouGov megapoll released last week said a general election now could see Reform UK taking more seats than Labour, while the latest Ipsos poll puts Nigel Farage's party at 34% with Labour behind at 25%.
Sir Keir framed Reform UK as Labour's main opposition at a press conference in May, saying the Conservative Party has 'run out of road'.
It came after Reform UK hoovered up council seats across England in local elections, as well as gaining a seat previously held by Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
An immigration speech in which the Prime Minister said the UK could become an 'island of strangers' drew criticism and comparisons with Enoch Powell's infamous 'rivers of blood' address that was blamed for inflaming racial tensions in the 1960s.
Sir Keir has since expressed regret at the phrasing.
But he reportedly plans to target 'authoritarian-leaning' voters with a focus on tackling migration and crime.
In recent polling by LabourList of members, 64% said they wanted the party to shift to the left, with only around 2% favouring a move to the right.
Sir Keir has pledged to lead a 'decade of national renewal' (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
The next test at the polls will be Welsh and Scottish elections in May, at which Reform UK hopes to end Labour's 26-year domination in the Senedd next year.
Sir Keir again took aim at the party in a speech to the Welsh Labour conference last weekend, saying Mr Farage has 'no plan at all' for the nation.
Political historian Sir Anthony Seldon has praised Sir Keir's ability to react to crises in foreign policy and during the riots last summer, but urged him to counter Reform UK by communicating 'growth' and 'optimism'.
'Show people that you're Prime Minister, show people you've got a story, show people things are getting better across the whole country with growth and then, you know, that will deal with Reform,' he told Sky News.
Sir Keir has pledged to lead a 'decade of national renewal' and said that the first year of that has been 'cleaning up that mess' his Government inherited.
In a signal he is seeking to put a positive spin on the future, he told business leaders last week: 'We've wiped the state clean, we've stabilised the economy, and now we can go on to the next phase of government, building on that foundation.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
10 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Children are receiving ‘life lessons' from influencers and AI
Children are increasingly receiving life lessons from influencers or 'AI-generated summaries', the chief inspector of Ofsted will say. Sir Martyn Oliver will argue that classroom learning with human interaction 'has never been more important' as children are spending their lives online. In a major speech at the Festival of Education, the Ofsted chief will say schools are places of 'refuge', connection, friendship and humanity for children. Sir Martyn will tell the event at Wellington College, Berkshire: 'Right now, many children live much of their lives online. 'Socially, they are never 'off' and always in touch with their friends. 'And they increasingly receive life lessons from influencers or AI-generated summaries. 'I would argue that the place of learning, real learning, classroom learning – with human interaction – has never been more important.' The Ofsted boss will add: 'In a way there's something cloistered about living one's life in a curated online environment. 'You may be able to find 'the best that has been thought or said' if you go looking for it. 'But who's guiding you through it? Where's the human connection? And of course, where's the protection?' His comments come amid calls from the Conservatives for the Government to bring in a statutory ban on smartphones in schools. Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to stop the use of phones during the school day. Sir Martyn will say: 'Schools have never just been places of learning. 'They were, and are places of safety, even refuge. Places of community and connection. Places of friendship and humanity. 'They are citadels of childhood: communities within communities looking after their own and helping children develop into well-rounded adults – capable of looking after others in turn.' On Thursday, Sir Martyn will hit back at cynics who 'decry the norms of education' and who say Ofsted enforces an 'out-of-date, joyless system'. In his speech, he will say: 'For Ofsted, teaching a full, rich range of subjects isn't just a nice to have, it's fundamental to a great education. 'Music and art and sport aren't add-ons to the core curriculum, they are some of the most important subjects to study, in terms of developing a child's awareness of the world around them. 'And in a more macro sense, feeding into the cultural evolution of our country and pushing civilisation on.'
South Wales Guardian
22 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Tougher rules needed for utility firms digging up roads, MPs say
A new watchdog should also be appointed to manage the disruption caused by firms carrying out work on pipes and cables in England. Transport Committee chairwoman Ruth Cadbury said a pattern of repeated works can feel like a 'recurring nightmare' for road users. Under current rules, utility firms are responsible for the quality of the road surfaces they have reinstated for two years after works have completed, or three years in the case of deeper excavations. The committee called for that period to be extended to five years so council tax payers do not have to pick up the bill for repairing potholes caused by shoddy remediation work. Other recommendations from the committee included: – Tighter use of immediate permits enabling companies to dig up roads with little or no notice given to the local authority. – A new streetworks commissioner, similar to the Scottish roadworks tsar, to monitor performance and resolve disputes. – The wider use of lane rental schemes, charging firms up to £2,500 a day to incentivise quicker completion of works. – Better co-operation so utility firms and housing developers can work on the same bit of road at the same time rather than have repeated closures. Labour MP Ms Cadbury acknowledged that ageing infrastructure under the roads needed to be maintained and upgraded and extra cables and pipes were required for new homes. 'But as every road user knows, street works can feel like a recurring nightmare,' she said. The committee's recommendations would make a huge difference if they were implemented, she said. 'Upping the quality of reinstatement works will help stem the never-ending plague of potholes on local roads. 'Lane rental schemes should provide a financial incentive to complete works on time. 'And longer-term planning and earlier notification should help councils prevent the infuriating occurrence of multiple roads being closed in one locality, or the same road being dug up multiple times in one year.' A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'We wholeheartedly agree that streetworks are far too disruptive for drivers and that is why we have taken action to prevent the impact on drivers. 'We've cracked down on streetwork companies overrunning or leaving roads poorly repaired by ramping up fines and giving local authorities new powers to coordinate roadworks more efficiently and will put measures in place so 50% of surplus lane rental funds must be invested into highway maintenance. 'We are determined to end the pothole plague, which is why we are already investing £1.6 billion this year to help local authorities resurface local roads and fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes this year.'
Leader Live
22 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Children are receiving ‘life lessons' from influencers and AI
Sir Martyn Oliver will argue that classroom learning with human interaction 'has never been more important' as children are spending their lives online. In a major speech at the Festival of Education, the Ofsted chief will say schools are places of 'refuge', connection, friendship and humanity for children. Sir Martyn will tell the event at Wellington College, Berkshire: 'Right now, many children live much of their lives online. 'Socially, they are never 'off' and always in touch with their friends. 'And they increasingly receive life lessons from influencers or AI-generated summaries. 'I would argue that the place of learning, real learning, classroom learning – with human interaction – has never been more important.' The Ofsted boss will add: 'In a way there's something cloistered about living one's life in a curated online environment. 'You may be able to find 'the best that has been thought or said' if you go looking for it. 'But who's guiding you through it? Where's the human connection? And of course, where's the protection?' His comments come amid calls from the Conservatives for the Government to bring in a statutory ban on smartphones in schools. Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to stop the use of phones during the school day. Sir Martyn will say: 'Schools have never just been places of learning. 'They were, and are places of safety, even refuge. Places of community and connection. Places of friendship and humanity. 'They are citadels of childhood: communities within communities looking after their own and helping children develop into well-rounded adults – capable of looking after others in turn.' On Thursday, Sir Martyn will hit back at cynics who 'decry the norms of education' and who say Ofsted enforces an 'out-of-date, joyless system'. In his speech, he will say: 'For Ofsted, teaching a full, rich range of subjects isn't just a nice to have, it's fundamental to a great education. 'Music and art and sport aren't add-ons to the core curriculum, they are some of the most important subjects to study, in terms of developing a child's awareness of the world around them. 'And in a more macro sense, feeding into the cultural evolution of our country and pushing civilisation on.'
