British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to shift the narrative around his five-month-old government following a sharp decline in approval ratings, growing business discontent over tax hikes, and farmers protesting in London against new inheritance taxes.
Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has described the effort as an “emergency reset” for what she called a faltering administration. However, Starmer’s office insists his upcoming “Plan for Change” speech is not a relaunch but the “next phase” of his government’s agenda, aimed at convincing voters that the government is delivering tangible improvements.
Starmer’s center-left Labour Party came to power in July, ending 14 years of Conservative leadership, on a platform promising economic growth and revitalized public services, including the National Health Service (NHS). Yet, critics—including some Labour supporters—say the government has failed to demonstrate how it will improve people’s lives in the near term.
The upcoming speech is expected to outline specific “milestones” for economic growth, clean energy, education reform, childcare support, crime reduction, and strengthening the NHS. Among the commitments is a pledge to deploy 13,000 more neighborhood police officers over the next five years.
Starmer’s office stated he will address voters’ concerns directly, saying: “Hardworking Brits reasonably want a stable economy, their country to be safe, their borders secure, more cash in their pockets, safer streets in their towns, opportunities for their children, secure British energy in their homes, and an NHS that is there when they need it.”
The government has blamed its economic decisions on the “£22 billion ($28 billion) black hole” inherited from the previous Conservative administration. However, spending cuts and tax hikes have sparked significant backlash.
One particularly contentious measure involves the removal of winter heating cost subsidies for millions of retirees, a move that drew criticism after it was revealed Starmer had accepted clothing and other perks while many Britons struggle with soaring living costs. The government’s first budget in October introduced billions in new NHS funding but also increased employer taxes and imposed inheritance taxes on farmers for the first time in decades.
Thousands of farmers flooded the streets near Parliament in November to protest the inheritance tax, which they claim could devastate family farms. The government has defended the policy, saying three-quarters of farms will remain exempt.
Adding to Starmer’s woes, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh resigned last week after it was revealed she had an old fraud conviction related to a reported stolen cell phone.
These controversies have plunged Starmer’s approval ratings into deeply negative territory, though the opposition Conservatives have fared no better in polls.
The Labour government is banking on Thursday’s speech to rebuild public confidence and refocus attention on its long-term agenda. However, with mounting criticism and growing discontent, the prime minister faces a tough road ahead in persuading Britons that change is on the horizon.
