Keir Starmer will pledge this week to undertake the most ambitious program of government “in a generation” as he sets new goals to reshape his prime ministership amid falling approval ratings and the first resignation of his cabinet.
In a political gamble designed to draw a line under a bumpy opening months in office, the prime minister is understood to commit to a series of policy milestones to reduce NHS waiting lists and crime and improve living standards and early childhood education age. They are designed to demonstrate tangible improvements in the lives of voters and be achieved by the next election.
It comes after frustration over early missteps that led to a reshuffle of Downing Street. In preparation for his address later this week, Starmer will call on representatives of civil society, unions and business on Monday to urge them to work with his government to deliver the improved programme.
“This plan for change is the most ambitious but honest program of government in a generation,” Starmer said. “Mission-driven government is not about picking milestones because they’re easy or they’re going to happen anyway. This means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people.
“There will no doubt be obstacles along the way, but this government was elected with a mandate for change and our plan reflects the priorities of working people.” Given the unprecedented challenges we have inherited, we will not achieve this by simply doing more of the same.”
Starmer will stand behind controversial moves by increasing inheritance tax on agricultural land and drastically cut the winter fuel allowance, as well as binding his ministers to the new pledges. Key targets are likely to cover housing and NHS waiting times, in what is being described as the first half of a “decade of national renewal”.
There will also be an attempt to recast the goal of promoting economic growth with a measure that more tangibly puts “working people’s priorities first”. Insiders insist the measures will be truly challenging.
However, Starmer is understood not to include a target to reduce net migration, despite his surprise press conference last week in which he accused the previous Tory government of deliberately running a “one-nation experiment with open borders”.“.
Downing Street strongly denied the address was a “reset”, saying it had been long planned and reflected Starmer’s campaign focus on a “mission-led” government. However, it comes as business backlash continues from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hike budget. Meanwhile, Opinium’s latest poll for Observer confirms that Starmer suffered a severe personal blow after winning the post earlier this year.
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Starmer’s first net rating as Prime Minister – the difference between those who think he is performing well or poorly – stands at +19%. He now has a net approval rating of -32%. That includes a drop of 8 points over the past two weeks. Labor has also lost ground in recent months, being considered the best for dealing with living expenses such as housing. The Conservatives now have a 1 point lead on reducing mortgage costs. In September Labor had a 6 point lead. Starmer still leads Cammy Badenoch in terms of who voters see as the best prime minister, by 23% to 18%.
It also comes with anger among allies of Louise Hay, the former transport secretary who resigned after it became clear she has a conviction dating back to 2014. for falsely reporting a stolen cell phone to police. They claim Starmer was fully aware of the conviction when he appointed her to his shadow cabinet in 2020.
Her supporters said Starmer had lost one of his most enterprising ministers. “She was the minister for getting things done,” said one supporter, pointing to the renationalisation of the railways and giving local authorities in England more control over bus services.
This week’s strategy is the latest sign of the wide influence Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, now enjoys. He was put in the post as a result of concerns that a lack of political direction had contributed to the missteps since Labor’s election victory in July.
The decision to disclose a series of targets involves significant political risks. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been criticized for setting five “priorities” that have been described as too easy to achieve or simply unachievable – such as his pledge to “stop boats” crossing the English Channel. Starmer’s new milestones will be the focus of the next public spending review due in June.
While insiders played down the government’s early problems, they said the operation had become more coherent since McSweeney’s appointment to the heart of No 10 and removal of former chief of staff Sue Gray, whom some accuse of a lack of preparation for power. McSweeney, who led the last election campaign, is now said to be fully focused on winning a second term.
It also comes after a disappointing opening few months, in which Starmer was criticized for accepting gifts and suffered a backlash over plans to increase inheritance tax on farmland, cut winter fuel allowance and increase employer-paid national insurance.
Downing Street also had to back down from Reeves’ claim that she “will not come back with more borrowing or more taxes”. The government’s official line now is that tax increases on the same scale will not be necessary. Adam Drummond, head of political and social research at Opinium, said: “After a brief post-Budget improvement, Keir Starmer’s ratings are back below -30 and Labour’s performance across issues is down. That being said, Starmer still leads Cammy Badenoch as “best prime minister” and the Conservatives lag behind on most issues.
“Five months after the country sacked the last government, it just seems like they’re not seeing much improvement and they’re losing faith in the replacements they’ve hired. Voters and the government should hope that things can get better.”
