From landslide to letdown: Has Starmer squandered his year of power? Labour's magnificent mandate under scrutiny

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19 hours ago

Keir Starmer completes a year as the UK prime minister on Friday, having won the mandate on July 4 last year. But today, he faces questions. Has Starmer's first year in office lived up to the promise of change he made after the landslide victory. read more
Exactly a year ago, Sir Keir Starmer emerged on television screens across the world beaming with confidence, representing a change in the political and economic mindset of the United Kingdom. On July 4, 2024, Starmer had ended the political exile of the Labour Party that lasted a decade and a half with a resounding victory over the Conservative Party, which faltered under a short-lived but historic prime ministership of Rishi Sunak, the first Indian origin PM of the country.
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By the evening of July 4 last year, King Charles III appointed Starmer as the third prime minister of his reign that began in 2022. Starmer-led Labour's victory seemed to offer the UK and King Charles some sense of stability. But a year later, Starmer stands as the least popular newly elected British prime minister, facing criticism that he has wasted a year in office when the UK needed a resolute leadership to deal with multi-pronged challenges emanating from across the Atlantic as well as the English Channel.
The UK media is abuzz with reports speculating about Starmer's premature exit from office. At least two Labour MPs have gone public, in interviews with a national daily, to claim that Starmer could be removed within a few months. His Cabinet is not cohesive. The tears of his chancellor sent out an unmistakable signal that all is not well within the Starmer government or his Labour Party.
So, what did Starmer do in one year to stand accused of having squandered not only a massive mandate but also people's faith in his political acumen?
A new dawn, now looks like dusk
A new dawn broke that day over central London as Keir Starmer stood before a jubilant crowd and declared, 'Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.'
For millions, his words promised an end to years of chaos and decline. Twelve months on, that sunlight of hope feels dimmer, as the realities of government grind against the weight of expectation. After all, he was the architect of the Labour's turnaround.
When Keir Starmer swept into Downing Street a year ago, the mood within the Labour Party was jubilant and the public expectation immense. After 14 years of Conservative rule, Labour's landslide victory — securing a 174-seat majority and 411 MPs — was hailed as a watershed moment for Britain. Starmer had spent nearly five years overhauling and rebranding his party and he promised a new era of 'national renewal' and a government that would 'restore Britain to the service of working people'.
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Yet, just one year later, the optimism of that summer morning has faded. The government's standing in opinion polls is now poor, with Labour's support plummeting from 34 per cent at the time of the election to just 24 per cent, trailing Reform UK by five points. And the Charmer Starmer faces tough questions in Westminster now.
A modest vision, modest results
Starmer's pitch to the electorate was deliberately unflashy. Unlike Tony Blair's 'third way' revolution, Starmer offered a set of 'foundations' and 'missions' — from economic stability and secure borders to National Health Service (NHS) reform and clean energy. These were accompanied by milestones and targets, some precise, others frustratingly vague. The hope was that this measured approach would bring order after years of political chaos.
However, critics argue that the government's ambitions were too modest to begin with, and progress on even these limited goals has been painfully slow. Starmer's main mission — to kickstart economic growth — has delivered just 0.8 per cent growth since the election, ranking Britain around third in the G7 and far behind the United States, which grew by 13 per cent over the previous five years. Business confidence has turned negative, not helped by Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to raise employers' national insurance contributions and introduce a workers' rights bill, both of which have angered businesses.
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The cost of stability
Starmer's first 'foundation' was economic stability: low inflation, stable public finances, and an end to policy flip-flops.
Yet inflation remains 1.4 percentage points above its two per cent target, and 10-year gilt yields have hit a 17-year high. Reeves' first budget in October 2024 introduced the largest tax rises since 1993, setting the tax burden to its highest level in recorded history. The government also axed winter fuel payments for around 10 million people, a move that drew widespread criticism.
On public finances, Reeves has focused on 'unlocking' private-sector investment, arguing that there is 'not a huge amount of money' for public spending. Several infrastructure projects have been cancelled, and surplus public sector land is being sold off. The government's cautious approach has left many feeling that the promised 'change' has yet to materialise.
Amid all this, while Starmer got the blame for all that is wrong with Britain today, he tried to shake it off by indicating loss of confidence in Reeves, who broke down in Parliament. Her tenure looked certain to be curtailed. Hours later, however, Starmer made a U-turn, assuring that she will complete her full term. But by that time, the damage had been done. All the major newspapers of the UK had the photograph of a teary Reeves on their front pages. Starmer had failed to charm the British people.
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Immigration, borders and backlogs
On immigration, Starmer pledged to 'dismantle' the networks of people-smugglers and reduce net migration. The government established a £150 million border-security initiative and introduced visa restrictions, but the number of small-boat migrants surged to 43,309 in the year to June 2025 — a 38 per cent increase on the previous year. Net migration did fall by half to 431,000, but this was largely expected after a spike in 2023.
Efforts to clear the asylum backlog have had limited success: the number of cases awaiting assessment dropped by seven per cent to 110,000, and the use of hotels to house asylum-seekers fell by six per cent to 32,000. However, the government's pledge to 'smash the gangs' of people-smugglers has so far proved fruitless.
NHS and public services: Stubborn challenges
The NHS remains a critical battleground. Labour set a milestone for 92 per cent of people referred for consultant-led care to be seen within 18 weeks. In reality, 6.2 million people — one in 10 Britons — are still waiting, and only 60 per cent are seen within the target time. The government's push to prevent illness, speed up discharges, and adopt AI has yet to yield significant improvements.
On housing, Labour's ambitious target of adding 1.5 million homes in five years looks increasingly unrealistic. Net additions to England's housing stock were just 201,000 in the year to March — the lowest in nine years. A planning bill is crawling through Parliament, expected to boost housebuilding by 25 per cent in the long run, but not enough to close the gap.
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Internal strife and waning authority
Perhaps most damaging for Starmer has been the growing dissent within his own party. The recent political showdown over his welfare package forced him to abandon planned welfare cuts. In the face of a rebellion, Chancellor Reeves was reduced to tears in Parliament.
Over 120 Labour MPs have openly rebelled on key votes, raising questions about Starmer's authority and ability to hold his party together.
The government's most nebulous mission — breaking down barriers to opportunity — has seen little progress. Targets for early-years education and social mobility remain distant, and critics say the government's approach lacks both ambition and urgency.
One year after Labour's historic victory, the government's performance index — measuring progress on key areas from immigration to the environment — shows only minimal improvement from its post-Brexit low point. Public dissatisfaction is palpable, with many voters more concerned about their personal finances, the cost of living, and basic public services than the government's broader missions.
Starmer's allies argue that he inherited a country in crisis and that meaningful change takes time. But as Labour's poll ratings tumble and internal divisions grow, the risk is that the party's once-magnificent mandate could slip away before real change is delivered.
The verdict, so far, is sobering: from landslide to letdown, Starmer's first year in office has been marked by slow progress, mounting challenges, and a growing sense that the promise of national renewal remains unfulfilled. Starmer, however, remains the most formidable Labour leader. It might be too early to write an epitaph of the leader who was hailed both as charismatic and capable only a year ago.
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