United Kingdom | Starmer's unlucky year

These were scenes that mercilessly symbolize the state of the British government. On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood at the lectern in the House of Commons, mechanically rattling off a list of his Labour government's achievements – and behind him sat a clearly distressed Rachel Reeves, wiping tears from her face. Later, the government announced that the Chancellor's condition was due to a personal matter; other MPs reported a dispute with the Speaker. But the British media pounced on the incident – ​​because it is an apt symbol of the mood within the governing party.

It has been exactly one year since Starmer led his party to a resounding victory. "Change begins now," he said when he took over the leadership of the country after 14 years of Conservative Tory governments. But disillusionment was not long in coming. First, leading ministers – including Starmer himself – unwittingly made headlines when it was revealed that they had accepted generous gifts from sponsors. This caused outrage precisely because the government was imposing austerity on the rest of the country. A limit on child benefits introduced by the Tories was maintained, and Labour also cut state heating benefits for pensioners in the winter months. Even then, resistance was brewing on the left wing of the party – but Starmer and Reeves stayed the course.

Tightened asylum policy

Meanwhile, they set about fulfilling their election promises. This included overhauling the ailing NHS. The £29 billion increase in the health budget has certainly shown initial success—waiting lists for medical treatment, for example, have shortened. But the results of the other promises have been rather meager. The hoped-for economic growth has failed to materialize, and there are concerns in the business world that Reeves will announce further tax increases in the autumn.

Labour has also failed to close the refugee route across the English Channel – "securing the borders" is one of its priorities. In the first five months of 2025, almost 15,000 people came to the UK this way, 42 percent more than in the same period last year. The government has left no stone unturned in its efforts to demonstrate toughness: in its attempt to undermine the rising right-wing party Reform UK, it has tightened asylum policy and restricted legal migration routes. In doing so, however, it has alienated many left-wing voters. Starmer recently admitted that his rhetoric had gone too far: in May, he said that Britain was in danger of becoming an "island of strangers."

"No prime minister since 1945 has had such a bad start."

Anthony Seldon Historian and author of biographies of numerous British heads of government

The public's disappointment with Labour is reflected in its poor poll ratings. No new governing party has fallen from grace so quickly in recent decades. Things are also looking discouraging for Keir Starmer: his approval ratings are deep in the negative. "No prime minister since 1945 has had such a poor start," Anthony Seldon, biographer of several heads of government, recently told the BBC. The problem is "fundamental incompetence." Many of Starmer's party colleagues have also reached this conclusion.

Discontent over cuts to the social budget forced the government to make a sharp U-turn this week. Previously, supporters of Starmer and his Chancellor had tried every means possible to rein in the rebels. But they were not only unsuccessful, they only made things worse: With their aggressive approach, party colleagues report, they alienated many MPs.

What is Starmer's project?

In Westminster, many politicians and commentators are now convinced that Starmer simply lacks political flair. Observers also warn that the reversal of austerity has resulted in a loss of authority. It will be easier for his opponents within the party to deny him their support in the future.

In addition, the Prime Minister has so far failed to tell a coherent story about how he intends to change the country. Heads of government typically have a project or overarching goal that guides their decisions. "But what is Starmer's project?" asks the left-liberal daily newspaper "The Guardian." This is the question the Prime Minister must answer urgently to ensure his second year is more successful than his first.