One year of Labour
Written by , Senior Lecturer in at The University of Manchester.
New governments Çà¹ÏÊÓƵ“ particularly those with large parliamentary majorities Çà¹ÏÊÓƵ“ often anticipate a honeymoon period in their first year of office, with the opportunity to pursue their manifesto commitments and begin demonstrating tangible progress. Indeed, Keir Starmer started from a stronger position than most, with a Commons majority not seen since the Blair years. Yet, his first year has been marked by a set of challenges that have limited the governmentÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s momentum.
A relatively cautious legislative agenda has been overshadowed by the unexpected prominence of Kim LeadbeaterÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s , which has dominated headlines and raised difficult questions, not least because ministers have admitted thereÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s no budget in place to deliver it, should it clear the Lords.
Labour has also come under sustained pressure from Reform UK, whose electoral performance has cast a long shadow. The party finished second in 89 Labour-held seats Çà¹ÏÊÓƵ“ including those of several ministers Çà¹ÏÊÓƵ“ and the government has been compelled to respond, often framing FarageÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s party as the principal opposition. But while energy has been directed outward, tensions have been simmering on the Labour backbenches, particularly over proposed welfare reforms. Even with a large majority, the threat is significant and potentially damaging. It suggests that the governmentÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s focus on countering Reform may have come at the cost of managing discontent closer to home. In the end, the greatest threat to any government often comes not from the opposition benches, but from within its own party.
All of this has meant Labour has often found itself reacting to events rather than shaping them. The autumn reversal on winter fuel payments and the recent climb down on benefits changes are emblematic of this. ItÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™s no surprise then that Starmer himself has acknowledged the year as Çà¹ÏÊÓƵ˜disappointingÇà¹ÏÊÓƵ™.
If he wants to steady the ship, the Prime Minister will need to bring his backbenchers with him. He also needs to decide: is Reform the real threat, or is it the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch waiting in the wings? Who he chooses to focus on will shape the rest of this Parliament.