Starmer’s team hope policy blitz will prove that Labour can deliver change

Those close to PM worry voters are running out of patience and want reforms to directly help public

Keir Starmer has at last managed a family holiday, but by next week the Madeira sun may already feel a distant memory as he embarks on a policy blitz that could be crucial in deciding his government’s fortunes over this parliament.

A speech on Monday detailing what No 10 is billing as a “radical” approach to cut NHS waiting lists is expected to be followed by an announcement on crime, as the prime minister faces pressure to make changes that directly and rapidly benefit voters, rather than just promising they are on the way.

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Keir Starmer to announce radical NHS changes to cut waiting times

Exclusive: Patients in England to get direct referrals for tests without seeing consultant, but critics say plan is ‘deluded’

Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his premiership next week by setting out a series of radical NHS changes aimed at reducing waiting times for millions of patients in England.

The shake-up comes after a torrid first six months in government and amid mounting frustration among patients. More than 6 million are waiting for care.

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Musk accused of ‘politicising’ rape of young girls in UK to attack Starmer

Ex-health worker who exposed paedophile ring says billionaire’s triggering of row ignores plight of survivors

Elon Musk has “politicised” the rape of young girls in the UK in an attempt to attack Keir Starmer, a former health worker who exposed a major paedophile ring has told the Guardian.

Sara Rowbotham, who gathered evidence that led to the imprisonment of nine men in Rochdale, said the tech billionaire had launched a “political swipe” at the prime minister that overlooked the plight of abuse survivors.

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Wes Streeting defends pace of plans for adult social care reform – UK politics live

Health secretary says initial reports from commission led by Louise Casey will come next year

As well as being asked about plans for adult social care and a new national care service, Wes Streeting was questioned this morning on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme about progress on assisted dying legislation in England and Wales.

As health secretary, Streeting intervened before November’s vote, suggesting that legalising assisted dying in the two countries would have resource implications for the NHS, and might lead to healthcare cuts.

The bill committee will work through those policy issues before the bill comes back to the Commons as a whole for further amendment, and then a final vote on a third reading before it goes to the Lords.

So whatever my misgivings, I’ve said all the way through this that I’ve respected parliament, that this isn’t the government’s responsibility, the government is neutral. That is for the Commons and the Lords to decide.

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Keir Starmer vows to rebuild Britain as Labour did after second world war

PM says in his new year message that 2025 will be a year of rebuilding, comparing the task to that Attlee faced in 1945

Keir Starmer has promised to rebuild Britain as Labour did after the second world war as he enters a pivotal year for his premiership.

The prime minister said in his prerecorded new year message that 2025 would be a year of rebuilding, with his government looking to turn the corner after a turbulent first six months in power.

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Sadiq Khan, Stephen Fry and Emily Thornberry make new year honours list

Mayor of London ‘truly humbled’ to be made a knight as authors, actors and sporting stars receive honours

Sadiq Khan and Stephen Fry received knighthoods along with the former England manager Gareth Southgate while Emily Thornberry became a dame in the first new year honours list since Labour’s general election win.

The mayor of London, who secured a record third term in City Hall this May, said he was “truly humbled” by the honour. Fry, who first made his name as one half of a double act with Hugh Laurie in the late 1980s, said he had felt “startled and enchanted” on receiving the news.

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Trump versus trade: the global economic outlook for 2025 in five charts

Unpredictable change will sweep through America, while old problems, from war to inflation, are likely to afflict other countries

The global economy is entering the new year with rising geopolitical tensions looming over its prospects, as the world’s leading central banks attempt to cut interest rates after the worst inflation shock in decades.

Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is expected to dominate the economic agenda. Global trade tensions are on the horizon as the president-elect threatens to impose sweeping tariffs on US imports.

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Keir Starmer pays tribute to brother who died on Boxing Day

Nick Starmer, 60, who had cancer, ‘met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour’, says PM

Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his brother Nick, who had cancer and died on Boxing Day aged 60.

Starmer said in a statement: “My brother Nick was a wonderful man. He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much.

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Keir Starmer pays tribute to brother who died on Boxing Day

Nick Starmer, 60, who had cancer, ‘met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour’, says PM

Keir Starmer has paid tribute to his brother Nick, who had cancer and died on Boxing Day aged 60.

Starmer said in a statement: “My brother Nick was a wonderful man. He met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour. We will miss him very much.

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Starmer accuses Whitehall of being comfortable with failure in landmark speech

Prime minister sets out milestones for delivery but faces claims of watering down targets and ignoring immigration

Keir Starmer accused Whitehall of becoming comfortable with failure as he challenged civil servants to hit a series of policy targets and deliver on 150 “major infrastructure projects”.

Ushering in the “next phase” for the five-month-old Labour government, the prime minister urged “a profound cultural shift away from a declinist mentality” and a relentless focus on getting things done.

Higher real household disposable income and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by the end of this parliament, as part of a long-term aim to make the UK the fastest-growing G7 economy.

Building 1.5m homes in England and fast-tracking planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects.

Putting the UK “on track” to achieve at least 95% clean power by 2030.

Meeting the NHS standard of 92% of patients in England waiting no longer than 18 weeks for elective care.

Getting a record 75% of five-year-olds ready to learn when they start school.

A named police officer for every beat, and 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers for England and Wales.

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Keir Starmer says new ‘milestones’ on living standards, NHS and more are ‘almighty challenge’ – as it happened

Prime minister makes speech intended to to show Labour government is ‘delivering change’

Starmer says there is record dissatisfaction with the NHS. The public insititutions but that they are not beyond repair.

Says this is great nation and we are rediscovering that we can do new things and we can deliver the change that they voted.

The purpose of this government is to make our public services work. It’s cause that demands the full power of government.

Starmer is up. Opening gambit is a swipe at Kemi Badenoch: the leader of the opposition thinks if you do a couple of shifts in McDonald’s you can become working-class.

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Starmer seeks to relaunch premiership with new promise to crack down on crime

After a rocky start, PM sets out ‘next phase’ covering economic growth, NHS backlogs, energy, and a ‘bobby on every beat’

Keir Starmer will attempt to reset his premiership with a series of pledges to show he is “delivering change”, including 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and a named “bobby on every beat”.

In a speech Labour hopes will set out the “next phase” of government, the prime minister will detail half a dozen “milestone” targets covering living standards, NHS backlogs, secure energy, housebuilding and children’s readiness for school.

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MPs back PR bill in vote, a symbolic win for electoral reform campaigners – UK politics live

MPs vote to give leave to bring in private members’ bill on PR but it will have no practical effect

Lord Robertson, the former Labour defence secretary and former Nato secretary who is leading the government’s strategic defence review, is giving evidence to the Commons defence committee. He has told MPs that the Americans are being fully consulted about the review. This is from Shashank Joshi, the Economist’s defence editor.

Listening to George Robertson & Richard Barrons, who are writing the UK’s defence review alongside Fiona Hill, giving evidence to the Commons defence committee. They’re in “constant contact” with allies, Robertson says, and have a US officer on the review team.

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Starmer rejects false choice between Trump’s US and EU in key speech

At lord mayor’s banquet in London, British PM says ‘national interest demands that we work with both’

Keir Starmer has “utterly rejected” the idea that the UK must choose between the United States and Europe when Donald Trump comes to power, arguing that it is in the national interest to work with both.

The prime minister said the UK would “never turn away” from its relationship with the US, despite the difficulties the new administration could pose, as it had been the “cornerstone” of security and prosperity for over a century.

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UK politics live: Labour under pressure over housing and waiting list targets

Health bosses reportedly concerned about government’s focus while council leaders are said to believe building targets are unrealistic

Keir Starmer’s “plan for change” being unveiled later this week (see 9.26am) will involve sidelining the mission pledge to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7, Ben Riley-Smith from the Telegraph reports.

New targets on living standards will be unveiled by Keir Starmer on Thursday

Is being seen as a sidelining of his big economic pledge - getting the highest growth in the G7

The problem with the ‘highest sustained growth in G7’ target is Starmer of course doesn’t control the economies of US, Aus, Canada, Germany, France, Japan

US growing way faster now: 2.8% estimate for 2024 vs 1.1% for UK

For the new living standards target real household disposable income and GDP per capita have been considered.

The new promise will likely have the benefit of not being a pledge to beat other countries.

Note the nuance. The G7 target remains. It will likely be mentioned in the ‘Plan For Change’ document unveiled on Thurs and Starmer’s speech

But a new major economic pledge will now be unveiled which in the coming years is likely to be talked about much more than the G7 ambition

Councils are committed to keeping tenants and residents safe, and are keen to work with government to drive the pace of remediation.

However, for local government to carry out enforcement and addressing cladding issues as effectively and quickly as possible, multi-year funding arrangements are needed.

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NHS bosses reportedly worried about Starmer’s pledge to cut waiting lists

PM expected to set target to carry out 92% of routine operations and appointments within 18 weeks

NHS bosses are said to be privately concerned about Keir Starmer’s ambitious targets to cut waiting lists for routine operations, set to be announced later this week, which will also include specific targets on living standards and housebuilding.

The prime minister is expected on Thursday to set a target for 92% of routine operations and appointments to be carried out within 18 weeks, one that has not been achieved in almost a decade, the Times has reported.

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Zelenskyy says Ukrainian territory should be under ‘Nato umbrella’ to stop war

President suggests bringing Kyiv-controlled land into western military pact could stop ‘hot stage’ of war

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia.

Speaking to Sky News, the Ukrainian president said that such a proposal has “never been considered” by Ukraine because it has never “officially” been offered.

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Louise Haigh quits as transport secretary after admitting conviction for misleading police over stolen mobile – UK politics live

Transport secretary departs after it emerged she pleaded guilty to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013

In her resignation letter Louise Haigh said little about the past conviction, now spent, that led to her resignation. But she gave a fuller statement yesterday when approached by reporters about the story. She said:

In 2013 I was mugged while on a night out. I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.

I reported it to the police and gave them a list of what I believed had been taken - including a work mobile phone that had been issued by my employer.

Louise Haigh has done the right thing in resigning. It is clear she has failed to behave to the standards expected of an MP.

In her resignation letter, she states that Keir Starmer was already aware of the fraud conviction, which raises questions as to why the prime minister appointed Ms Haigh to Cabinet with responsibility for a £30bn budget? The onus is now on Keir Starmer to explain this obvious failure of judgment to the British public.

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Keir Starmer gives speech on migration after record figures for 2023 revealed – UK politics live

Prime minister holds press conference to announce plans as ONS announces net migration figures

Here is a chart from the ONS report illustrating the latest figures.

Here is the PA Media story on the figures.

Net migration to the UK hit a higher than previously thought record of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, revised official estimates show.

The measure for the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country then dropped by 20% in the latest period, the 12 months to June 2024, and now stands at 728,000.

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Starmer: record net migration shows Tories ran ‘open borders experiment’

PM says previous government ‘deliberately liberalised’ post-Brexit immigration as he announces deal with Iraq

Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of running an “open borders experiment” after new figures showed that net migration to the UK hit a record high of nearly 1 million in a period covering Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s administrations.

The prime minister announced a deal with Iraq to tackle people-smugglers and a white paper to overhaul the visa system, before demanding “an explanation” from Kemi Badenoch for her party’s decision to “deliberately liberalise immigration” after the Brexit vote.

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