In Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday, the word “milestone” was mentioned eight times and “missions” thirteen times. There were also three “promises” and one “promise”.
All this has led to one big thing: the Prime Minister trying to turn the tide after a difficult start in government by setting goals to achieve by the end of this parliament.
The ‘plan for change’ speech focused on six well-researched themes.
1) Higher standard of living
Starmer promised “higher living standards in every region of the country. So working people have more money in their pockets… the burden of living costs… no longer detracts from the joy of family life.”
Analysis: Critics of Labour’s first budget would argue that this goal has been made more difficult by the measures announced, including increases in employers’ national insurance contributions. The Confederation of British Industry has since warned that “growth expectations have taken a decisive turn” and that the budget will make it harder for companies to hire new staff. The Resolution Foundation described the targets as “the bare minimum for any functioning government”.
2) Building 1.5m houses in England
Starmer pledged to speed up planning decisions for at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects. He said: “It is clear that if we do not boost housing construction with reforms we will not reach that milestone. And if that level of candor surprises you… then honestly, it shouldn’t. After all, what’s the point of setting a goal that you can achieve without bold action?”
Analysis: This may be the toughest challenge of all. It was set out in the Labor manifesto and the Economist in July Hugo Bessis explained how difficult this issue has become for all administrations. “The track record of previous governments shows that building enough – and not just more – new homes is a virtually impossible challenge due to a variety of economic, planning and social barriers,” he said. Last year, housing construction fell sharply 5%, the lowest level in eight years.
3) Ninety-two percent of patients in England wait no longer than eighteen weeks for elective treatment
Starmer said the NHS “perhaps more than any institution… represents the bigger ‘us’. And yet here we are… the NHS – even the NHS… losing the trust of the British public… broken… but not beyond repair.”
Analysis: This was another manifesto promise. Currently less than 60% of surgeries or other procedures occurred within an 18-week period. Shiva Anandacivaan expert at the health and social care charity The King’s Fund, said a review of the NHS by Lord Darzi, commissioned by Labour, appeared to dampen expectations over waiting lists, yet the government has “doubled down and pledged to go above and beyond to meet all targets to achieve”. Starmer has opted for one ‘reform or die’ strategy, which seeks to achieve by the end of parliament a goal that has not been achieved for a decade.
4) Put the police back on track with a appointed officer for each community and 13,000 additional officers, PCSOs and special constables
Starmer promised more policing on the ground and the eradication of anti-social behavior in every community because, he said, “no one should feel insecure on the streets they call home”.
Analysis: In terms of feasibility, this is one of the easier ones. The Tories said Labor had botched the figures, claiming that “less than a third of Labour’s 13,000 community police officers are actually new police officers”.
Yet there is another concern, raised by Richard Atkinson, the president of the Law Society of England and Wales. He warned that the focus on crime and justice was welcome, but investment was needed across the board.
“It will be vital that increased funding for more police officers is matched by investment in legal aid, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts. More police on the streets means more arrests and a huge domino effect on the rest of the system.”
5) Achieving a record 75% of five-year-olds in England ready to learn when they start school
Starmer said one in three children are ‘not ready for school at the age of five’. He said there were students at the front desk “who are not starting to read… they are having difficulty speaking.” Labor’s target is for an additional 40,000 to 45,000 children to meet development targets each year.
Analysis: According to Schools Week, this year 67.7% of children were assessed as having a “good” level of development in areas such as language, personal development, mathematics and literacy. Nick Harrison, the chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said the 75% target was “absolutely the right ambition… but achieving this will be a momentous task if the status quo in early childhood education for the most disadvantaged children continues.
“The gap between children eligible for free school meals and their peers in achieving these educational goals has widened since 2017 and there are no signs of this trend reversing.”
6) Energy security, protection of bill payers and climate security
In the speech, the Prime Minister promised “clean energy by 2030… homegrown British energy… making our country safer… so that a tyrant like Putin can never again attack the living standards of working people.”
Analysis: Labor is talking about making Britain a clean energy superpower, but this will cost money. Money will be needed for renewable energy infrastructure and carbon capture and storage – itself a controversial area. Alice Delahunty, president of UK electricity transmission at National Grid, told the FT in October, the target to decarbonize the electricity system by 2030 was announced was “incredibly stretching” and could only be achieved with major policy reforms. “If it were perfectly in line with the current regimes, it would not happen. It must therefore fit in perfectly with reformed regimes.”