As Sir Keir Starmer marks his first anniversary in Downing Street following Labour’s historic landslide victory last July, a growing number of voices, both within and outside the party, are questioning whether the government is delivering on its promise of change.
After securing 411 seats and a majority of 156, Starmer’s first year has been marred by internal dissent, high-profile U-turns, and faltering poll numbers. Labour currently trails at 23% behind Nigel Farage’s rising Reform UK, which leads with 28%. Among the defining moments of the past year are three trade deals, five policy reversals, a commitment to defence spending at 2.5% of GDP, eight ministerial resignations, 49 Labour MPs rebelling on welfare reforms, and record small boat crossings.
The glimpse of this turbulence was seen when Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen in tears in the Commons amid backlash over the government’s welfare bill. Later, at the launch of Labour’s 10-year NHS plan, Starmer faced a pointed question from a TV journalist: “You’ve U-turned on reforms, your MPs don’t trust you, and markets are losing confidence. Isn’t this the very chaos you vowed to end?”
To this, Starmer admitted recent challenges, “I’m not going to pretend the last few days have been easy. They’ve been tough… But I also know that we will come through it stronger.” The mood has shifted dramatically since the jubilant scenes of July 2024, when supporters lined Downing Street with flags, hopeful for a new political era after 14 years of Conservative rule.
Senior Labour figures now openly concede the first year has not gone to plan. Regional mayors are also claiming that Keir Starmer’s government feels “disjointed” from the wider Labour Party just one year.
Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram described No 10’s repeated missteps as “a mess of our own making” and criticised the lack of internal cohesion. “People want to support Starmer, but it’s hard when mistakes keep happening, and they’re avoidable,” he said.
West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin called for a renewed focus on devolution, warning that government departments have “forgotten” the promise of a “devolution revolution”. South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard echoed her call for greater investment in local policing and culture. “This government listens, and I hope it learns,” he said, contrasting Labour’s performance with the Conservatives’ “absolute shambles”.
According to an expert analysis by Dr Karl Pike, a Lecturer in Public Policy at Queen Mary University London, the first year of Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been marked by a cautious start, internal challenges, and key fiscal decisions. It began on a muted note with a controversial winter fuel payment cut and a four-month wait for the first Budget.
Progress was made on early pledges like Great British Energy, although issues in education, particularly teacher recruitment, and school funding persist. The government also took initial steps to reset relations with the EU, but questions remain about the ambition of its post-Brexit strategy, especially as it intersects with migration policy. Looking ahead, four key risks remain: the need for further tax increases, challenges of long-term delivery, economic drag from Brexit, and a growing threat from populist parties like Reform UK.
Dr Pike points out that Starmer’s leadership may risk becoming a “Macron strategy”, relying on liberal voters to block populism rather than inspire with a progressive mandate while public expectations for visible improvements are rising, particularly in the NHS, schools, and housing.
