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Sir Keir Starmer has used his first New Year’s message as UK prime minister to promise “a year of rebuilding” for Britain in 2025, admitting: “There is still a lot to do”.
In the first such message from a Labor prime minister in 15 years, Starmer signaled the challenges ahead by saying his administration had begun “the work of change”.
Despite a rocky start to his government, the prime minister pointed to early achievements, including a record increase in the minimum wage, more returns of foreign criminals, major investments in clean energy projects and more than 25 billion pounds earmarked for the National Health Service.
Starmer’s first few months as prime minister have been overshadowed by a row over freebies, a summer of racing turmoil and an autumn budget that raised taxes by £40 billion a year.
Labour’s landslide victory in July’s election gave it 411 seats and almost total control of the House of Commons, while reducing the Conservative party to just 119 MPs after 14 years in power.
However, the latest roundup of opinion polls has shown Labor has weakened to just 27 per cent, with the Conservatives not far behind on 25 per cent and the right-wing UK Reform closing the gap on 22 per cent.
Now, Downing Street hopes it can win over a skeptical public by offering concrete issues such as cutting NHS waiting lists, building more homes and offering more green energy schemes.
“For a lot of people it’s hard to think about the future when you spend all your time struggling to get through the week,” Starmer said.
“So I want to be clear. Until you look forward and believe again in the promise and prosperity of Britain, then this Government will fight for you. . . every waking hour.”
The Prime Minister is on his first holiday since the general election, having delayed his short break following the death of his brother Nick on Boxing Day.
Starmer reiterated his central targets of 1.5 million new homes, creating a safer energy system, improving pre-school support, cutting health waiting lists, cutting immigration and tackling anti-social behavior in communities.
“That’s what we’re going to focus on. A year of reconstruction. . . a nation that gets things done. No matter how hard or difficult the circumstances are,” he said.
Nigel Farage, the UK Reform leader – who won just five seats in July’s election but has since surged in the polls – used his New Year’s message to embrace his values of “family, community and country’, promising to make Britain a ‘better country’. “.
Farage said he had started 2024 in “semi-retirement” with two grandchildren on the way.
But he was inspired to return to frontline politics by his desire for “proper border controls”, tackling the cost of living crisis and scaling back net zero climate initiatives.
“Everyone agrees that we’ve had a real impact over these last six months,” he said. “We believe we can turn this country around 180 degrees and make Britain a much better place.”
