Under pressure, UK’s Starmer sets out plans to deliver on election pledges
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to turn the page on criticism of his government.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out plans on Dec 5 to deliver on his priorities to raise living standards and rebuild Britain in a speech he hopes will draw a line under what even some of his supporters say has been a bumpy start to government.
Five months since his Labour Party swept back to power with a landslide win
He will use the speech on Dec 5 to plot out when Britain can expect to see the progress his government has promised in a range of areas, including hospital backlogs, increasing police numbers, improving education and securing home-grown energy.
Called the government’s “plan for change”, he is expected to set out a reform programme for Britain’s overly stretched public services to try to restore trust in politics, eroded by years of chaos and scandal under the Conservatives and further deepened by Labour’s missteps in its first few months in power.
“My government was elected to deliver change, and today marks the next step. People are tired of being promised the world but short-term sticking plaster politics letting them down,” Mr Starmer will say, according to excerpts of his speech provided by his office.
“My mission-led government will deliver.”
Labour campaigned before the July 4 election on five missions – boosting economic growth, accelerating steps towards reaching net zero, reducing waiting times in the state-run health service, tackling crime and improving education.
His first measures on Dec 5 will include a move to give communities a named, contactable police officer to deal with local issues, his office said, part of a pledge to add 13,000 police officers in neighbourhood roles.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper in a statement said: “This marks a return to the founding principles of British policing – where officers are part of the communities they serve.
“Through this visible, responsive police presence in every neighbourhood, we will restore the trust and partnership that lies at the heart of keeping our communities safe.” REUTERS
