Since Labour took office, Keir Starmer’s government has:
- Scrapped the two-child benefit limit, lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and putting money back into some of the hardest-pressed households in the country.
- Expanded free school meals, cutting costs for families and making sure more children get a proper meal during the school day.
- Expanded funded childcare, reducing one of the biggest monthly costs facing working parents and making it easier for people to stay in work.
- Raised the National Living Wage, increasing pay for millions of low-paid workers.
- Strengthened workers’ rights, giving people greater protection against insecure work and bad employers.
- Introduced statutory sick pay from the first day of illness, so workers are less likely to choose between their health and their wages.
- Ended no-fault evictions, giving renters more security in their homes.
- Brought rail operators back into public ownership, taking key services out of failed private hands and giving the public a stronger stake in how they are run.
- Cut NHS waiting lists from their post-pandemic peak, meaning more patients are being seen sooner.
- Raised the state pension through the triple lock, protecting pensioners’ incomes against rising costs.
- Scrapped the old non-dom tax regime, making some of the wealthiest people in the country pay more fairly.
- Added VAT to private school fees, raising money from those most able to contribute.
- Removed business rates relief from private schools, ending an unjustified tax break.
- Increased neighbourhood policing, putting more officers and PCSOs back into communities.
- Helped bring knife crime down, meaning fewer families face the devastation of serious violence.
- Recorded the lowest homicide rate since the 1970s, a material improvement in public safety.
- Created Great British Energy, giving Britain a publicly owned clean energy company.
- Created the National Wealth Fund, backing investment in industry, infrastructure and clean energy.
- Passed planning reforms aimed at getting homes and major projects built faster.
- Improved relations with the EU, reducing diplomatic hostility and rebuilding practical cooperation.
- Agreed a UK-EU security partnership, strengthening cooperation on defence and European security.
- Signed a long-term partnership with Ukraine, reinforcing Britain’s support against Putin’s invasion.
- Secured new trade agreements, opening up markets for British businesses.
- Helped restore seriousness to government after years of scandal, chaos and decline.
- Revived Sure Start under the guise of Best Start Hubs.
- Stood up to Trump and kept us out of Iran without the US/UK relationship falling apart.
- Restored international faith in the UK
And this is the man who has been hounded out for not being flashy enough and not courting the media.
I totally agree. Well said.
I’m glad to see some appreciation of the government’s achievements under Kier Starmer, Luckygirl. It doesn’t mean everything is/was perfect. I do feel for the families of SEND children if the VAT on private school fees has affected them. Currently, SEND provision is entirely inadequate and no-one should have to pay to provide their child with an education that meets their needs.
European leaders (not just EU), including Zelenskyy seem genuinely sorry to see Keir go.
That's a very impressive list.
There are some things on it I like better than others, but to describe KS as useless or ineffectual is nothing short of wilfully blind.
I hope that AB does as much - I think he will, and I think he'll be equally loathed by those who prefer an unequal society, but I hope he handles the media more effectively than Keir did, and makes his achievements more obvious.
Inevitably there will be things on this list that individuals are not happy about .... that is the nature of government.... it is not posdible to please everyone and no government should try. Policies affect individuals in different ways.
But the litany of criticism of Starmer has failed to look at his achievements and his basic decency ... something that has been sadly lacking in UK government for a long time.
Mark Carney hits the nail on the head.
Doodledog
That's a very impressive list.
There are some things on it I like better than others, but to describe KS as useless or ineffectual is nothing short of wilfully blind.
I hope that AB does as much - I think he will, and I think he'll be equally loathed by those who prefer an unequal society, but I hope he handles the media more effectively than Keir did, and makes his achievements more obvious.
He’s become useless to the Labour Party, they would lose the next GE with him in place.
I don’t believe AB will be loathed at all.
Oreo
Doodledog
That's a very impressive list.
There are some things on it I like better than others, but to describe KS as useless or ineffectual is nothing short of wilfully blind.
I hope that AB does as much - I think he will, and I think he'll be equally loathed by those who prefer an unequal society, but I hope he handles the media more effectively than Keir did, and makes his achievements more obvious.He’s become useless to the Labour Party, they would lose the next GE with him in place.
That's not the same thing, though.
It is to Labour! And to us all who don’t want to see the Conservatives back or Reform.
One of Burnhams supporters interviewed by Emily Maitliss has said he doesn’t feel sorry for Starmer because he ‘f**cked up’. Can’t imagine Starmer supporting MP speaking like that. And Burnham is demanding that Starmer hands overstate information as if he’s PM already I believe.
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