Keir Starmer entered Downing Street in July 2024 after a landslide Labour victory, promising stability and moderation. Two years later, he becomes the sixth prime minister in seven years, undone by unforced errors, economic headwinds, scandals, and disastrous local election results. Here is an assessment of his major policy successes and failures.
Success: Boosts for Working People
Labour's employment rights bill, enacted in December, was hailed by Starmer as “the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.” Although the government backed down from granting unfair dismissal rights from day one, the law introduced significant new rights on sick pay, parental leave, and zero-hours contracts. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, called it “historic.” From April, the national living wage rose 4.1% to £12.71 per hour for over-21s, boosting earnings for 2.4 million workers by £900 a year. The Renters’ Rights Act also strengthened protections for tenants, requiring landlords to have legal grounds for eviction and ending fixed-term tenancies.
Success: Starmer the International Statesman
Starmer appeared most comfortable abroad. He courted Donald Trump, securing a trade deal that slashed tariffs on cars, aluminium, and steel, saving thousands of British jobs. Although the deal frayed after Starmer declined to back US-Israel strikes on Iran, that stance aligned with public opinion. He was steadfast on Ukraine, seeking to join the EU’s £78bn recovery loan scheme, and pushed for a “Brexit-reset,” calling EU departure “damaging” and vowing to place Britain “at the heart of a stronger Europe.” Plans for an EU-UK summit and a bill to adopt EU single market rules without a parliamentary vote marked his premiership.
Success: The Children Are Our Future
In March, Starmer scrapped the two-child benefit cap, lifting “half a million children out of poverty,” though critics noted the U-turn came after backbench pressure. His government opened 1,000 new Best Start family hubs and fully rolled out 30 hours of free childcare per week for eligible working parents, saving families up to £8,000 per child annually. A national rollout of free breakfast clubs for primary pupils began, and a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for three-to-five-year-olds was launched, with 100,000 extra dental appointments promised for children. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson tackled the special educational needs crisis with a schools white paper welcomed cautiously by education leaders.
Success: Immigration
Starmer promised net migration would fall “significantly” over four years. According to a BBC tracker, net migration dropped 48% in the last 12 months, asylum claims fell 12%, and small boat arrivals declined 41%. However, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned that net migration could fall below zero for the first time since 1993, potentially knocking 3.6% off annual national income by 2040.
Success: The Economy
Borrowing costs hit a three-year low in April before the Iran war and political chaos drove 30-year bond yields to their highest since May 1998. Inflation fell and interest rate cuts were expected. The government launched a £7.3bn national wealth fund for infrastructure and green investment. Chancellor Rachel Reeves changed fiscal rules to unlock £113bn for capital projects, including Sizewell C nuclear power station, East West Rail, housing, schools, and prisons.
Failure: The Bleak Midwinter
Reeves’s decision to strip winter fuel allowance from most pensioners proved disastrous. Designed as a tough signal, it was kept for months despite backlash. After heavy local election losses in May, the government U-turned, but Labour MPs said the issue still haunted them on doorsteps a year later.
Failure: Welfare Policy
In March, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall proposed welfare changes to save £5bn by reducing disability payments. Backbench opposition was immediate and fierce; by July, the government U-turned, damaging Starmer’s authority.
Failure: The Economy
Labour’s manifesto promised no increase in national insurance (NI), VAT, or income tax. But Reeves raised employers’ NI in her first budget to fill a £24bn black hole. The OBR warned of job losses and lower growth. The OBR cut its 2026 growth forecast from 1.4% to 1.1%; the IMF cut it further to 0.8% due to the Iran conflict.
Failure: U-Turns
Starmer earned a reputation for U-turns. Besides benefits and winter fuel, he backed down on inheritance tax for farmers, raising the threshold from £1m to £2.5m. He cut foreign aid to its lowest level ever to boost defence, despite promising to restore it to 0.7% of GNI. On grooming gangs, he appointed Louise Casey to lead an “audit” after initially ruling out a national inquiry. He also abandoned plans to delay local elections after a legal challenge by Nigel Farage. Starmer defended himself: “I am a pragmatist. I am a common-sense merchant.”
Failure: The Mandelson Affair
Starmer sacked Peter Mandelson as US ambassador in September after the former minister failed to disclose the depth of his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The affair led to the resignation of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney in February. The government was forced to release documents via a humble address. In April, a Guardian investigation revealed Mandelson had been appointed despite failing vetting; the Foreign Office overruled security officials, prompting the departure of civil servant Olly Robbins. Further documents in June showed Mandelson received sensitive briefings before vetting was complete and revealed internal Labour criticism of Starmer, including from Mandelson himself, who said the prime minister buckled under pressure. More documents are yet to be released, potentially creating headaches for Starmer’s successor.
