How do you feel about Prime Minister Keir Starmer ‘s performance this year?
His time at the top has certainly been eventful, with initial months in power shaped by a powder keg of high expectation reined in by a country in crisis. Starmer took over from the beleaguered Tories in July with a promise to unify the Labour Party and get the nation back on its feet. But it didn’t take long for the harsh realities of political life to set in.
The early stages of his leadership saw a series of bold policy proposals aimed at tackling major challenges such as rising living costs, environmental concerns, and overhauling public services. These proposals, however, were met with mixed responses from both party members and the wider public.
One of the most contentious moves has been the decision to end Winter Fuel Payments for a significant number of older citizens.
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Starmer’s standing was further tarnished by the freebies row, which saw the PM slammed for accepting thousands of pounds worth of clothes and glasses for himself and wife Victoria from Labour peer and donor Lord Alli. The leader later announced he would no longer accept gifts of clothes and said he had paid back more than £6,000 worth of presents and hospitality.
A month on and things were looking up for Labour with the introduction of the landmark Employment Rights Bill, hailed the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. Within the 28 reforms included a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts and boosting sick pay provisions.
The year also saw our PM outline a vision for a fairer and more equitable society through policies like renationalising the railways and expanding access to essential services. His proposal to bring the rail network back under public ownership aims to improve service quality, reduce fares, and ensure the system works for the public rather than for private profit.
Additionally, he has also championed the expansion of breakfast clubs for children, helping to tackle child hunger and ensure that every youngster starts their school day with a nutritious meal.
As the year wore on, Starmer was forced to double down on his inheritance tax shake-up for farmers – saying the “vast majority” will be unaffected. He said in most cases the changes would not kick in unless the land being handed down is worth £3million.
The PM went on to rubbish claims the Government had turned its back on the farming community, pointing to billions of pounds of investment.
Earlier this month, Starmer set out his ‘plan for change’ – six milestones he wants the voting public to measure his government against by the next election, likely in 2029.
These are:
- Increasing the income of working individuals
- Constructing 1.5 million homes and accelerating planning decisions for at least 150 key infrastructure projects
- Ensuring 92% of NHS patients are treated within 18 weeks
- Hiring 13,000 additional police officers, special constables, and PCSOs for community roles
- Guaranteeing that three-quarters of five-year-olds are ready for school
- Achieving 95% clean power by 2030
As the tumultuous year draws to a close, does 2025 look like it is going to be any easier for Labour?
The Government is currently facing a brutal backlash after rejecting calls to pay compensation to more than 3.5million WASPI women over changes to the state retirement age. The campaigners branded the decision ‘totally unjustified’.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror earlier this year, the PM admitted that while Labour had faced some “choppy days”, he remained determined to “look forward” and fix 14 years of Tory damage.