Keir Starmer promises year of ‘rebuilding’ for UK in 2025

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Sir Keir Starmer used his first New Year’s address as UK prime minister to promise a “year of rebuilding” for Britain in 2025, conceding: “There’s still a lot to do.”

In the first such address of the Prime Minister of the Labor Party in 15 years. Starmer: signaled the challenges ahead, saying his administration had begun “the work of change.”

Despite his government’s rocky start, the Prime Minister pointed to early achievements including a record minimum wage increase, more foreign criminal earnings, major investment in clean energy projects and more than £25 billion for the National Health Service.

The first months of Starmer’s premiership were marred by the free pay row, the summer’s race riots and an autumn budget that raised taxes by £40 billion a year.

Work:A landslide victory in July’s election gave him 411 seats and almost total control of the House of Commons, while reducing the Conservative Party to just 119 MPs after 14 years in power.

The latest yet aggregate of sociological surveys showed Labor languishing on just 27 per cent, with the Tories close behind on 25 per cent and right-wing Reform Britain closing the gap on 22 per cent.

Downing Street now hopes it can win over a skeptical public by presenting concrete issues such as reducing NHS waiting lists, building more homes and providing more green energy schemes.

“It’s hard for a lot of people to think about the future when you spend all your time struggling to get through the week,” Starmer said.

“So I want to be clear. Until you can look forward and believe again in the promise and prosperity of Britain, then this government will fight for you. . every waking hour.”

The Prime Minister is taking her first holiday since the general election, postponing her short break on Boxing Day following the death of her brother Nick.

Starmer reiterated his central targets of 1.5 million new homes, creating a more secure energy system, improving pre-school support, reducing health waiting lists, reducing immigration and tackling anti-social behavior in communities.

“We will focus on that. A year of reconstruction. . . a nation that gets things done, no matter how hard or difficult the circumstances are,” he said.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who won just five seats in July’s election but has since surged in the polls, used his New Year’s address to defend his values ​​of “family, community and country”, pledging to make Britain “a better place”. “: ”

Farage said he started 2024 in “semi-retirement” with two grandchildren on the way.

But he was inspired to return to front-line politics by his desire for “proper border controls,” addressing the vital crisis and reducing net-zero climate initiatives.

“Everyone agrees that we have had a real impact in these last six months,” he said. “We believe we can turn this country around and make Britain a much better place.”