Keir Starmer latest: PM declares war on nimby ‘blockers’ in bid to build 1.5 million homes

Keir Starmer has declared war on nimbys in his bid to usher in a “new golden era of building”.

Writing in The Times yesterday, the prime minister said: “Britain is in the grip of the worst housing crisis in living memory. For too long, the country has been held to ransom by the blockers and bureaucrats who have stopped the country building, choked off growth and driven prices through the roof.”

Sir Keir’s remarks came after he delivered a major speech earlier in the day, outlining his six “milestones”, which he said would allow the public to “hold our feet to the fire” on the missions he set for himself before the election.

Among the pledges made in his attempted Labour relaunch was the PM’s promise to build 1.5 million homes and make 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects.

However, responding to Sir Keir’s speech, which she branded an “emergency reset” after a challenging five months in office, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of dropping economic growth as a key target.

Sir Keir had promised the first milestone to be reached by the end of the parliament would be “higher living standards in every region of the country”, adding that the UK was aiming for the “highest sustained growth in the G7, so working people have more money in their pocket”.

Other milestones included putting more police on the beat with a view to making Britain’s streets safer, giving every child the “best start in life”, achieving clean power by 2030, and cutting the NHS waiting lists backlog.

Key Points

• In full: Keir Starmer’s six milestones for change
• Starmer insists Labour missions and milestones not confusing to the public
• PM insists migration would fall as he was repeatedly asked about its notable absence from milestones
• Badenoch accuses Starmer of dropping economic growth as key target
• Analysis: Starmer pauses expecting applause but is met with more silence

Starmer’s mission boards ‘risk becoming litter of Schrodinger’s cats’, Tory MP warns

Thursday 5 December 2024 21:23 , Alex Croft

Mission boards set up to oversee government progress risk becoming a “litter of Schrodinger’s cats”, a Tory shadow minister has warned.

Alex Burghart told the Commons: “The day after he entered Downing Street, the Prime Minister pledged to personally chair each mission delivery board to drive through change. We now hear that he is not chairing each mission delivery board. Why has the Prime Minister broken his pledge?”

Labour frontbencher Pat McFadden replied that the PM “is very engaged in delivery of these missions” and meets regularly with secretaries of states “for mission stocktakes”, adding: “That is the benefit of having this kind of programme, where the prime minister can personally hold secretaries of state to account and make sure that they are all focused on delivery of the government’s priorities.”

Mr Burghart urged Mr McFadden to “commit to regular published updates” about the boards, adding: “These boards are not cabinet sub-committees, which means they’re not authorised to make policy. The prime minister isn’t there, so his authority is absent.

“The government won’t reveal who’s on them, what they discuss, or when they meet. These are starting to sound like figments of the government’s imagination, a sort-of litter of Schrodinger’s cats.”

Referring to a statement expected later on Thursday, Mr McFadden told MPs: “He’s going to get a published update in a couple of hours, where he will receive a very full account of what they’ve been doing, how they’ve been prioritising their work and what the next steps are.”

Starmer’s reset will ‘capture people’s priorities’ for change, Yvette Cooper says

Thursday 5 December 2024 20:44 , Alex Croft

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said Sir Keir Starmer’s “reset” will “capture the priorities for people across the country”.

Asked why the PM needs a “reset” after five months in office, Ms Cooper said: “The prime minister is setting out today the plan for change and these really major milestones, that they capture the priorities for people across the country, the things that we’re determined need to change over the next few years.”

She told BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning: “Before the election, we set out the big missions for the country. In my area, that was around making the streets safer, around reducing serious violence and also restoring confidence in policing.

“But now what we’re doing, after the Budget and the spending review, is setting out ‘what does that mean in terms of the real major milestones, the difference that we want people to see in their own communities, in their own towns’?.

“And for us, that means 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat because we know that neighbourhood policing has been decimated in communities across the country under the Conservative government, and that’s what we’re going to be putting back on the street.”

Comment | Careful, Sir Keir – you’re in danger of ‘resetting’ yourself up to fail

Thursday 5 December 2024 20:07 , Alex Croft

“When Keir Starmer unveils his “plan for change” tomorrow, he will insist he is totally committed to public sector reform.

But his announcement of “measurable milestones” in six policy areas – living standards, the NHS, housebuilding, education, crime, and green energy – has already provoked an intense debate inside the cabinet.

Some ministers worry the new targets will make it harder to achieve the reforms that will be needed when the government cannot afford to throw money at the many problems in public services.

They fear that chasing the new targets – to avoid headlines about them being missed – will drain so much of the government’s energy and money that it will leave little space for reform.

Andrew Grice writes:

Careful, Sir Keir – you’re in danger of ‘resetting’ yourself up to fail

Conservatives say only a third of new recruits to be full police officers

Thursday 5 December 2024 19:29 , Alex Croft

The promise of a named officer for each community is intended to improve relations between the police and the public.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Our neighbourhood policing guarantee is about more than just increasing numbers. It’s about rebuilding the vital connection between the public and the police.

“This marks a return to the founding principles of British policing – where officers are part of the communities they serve.”

But the Conservatives said only a third of the 13,000 new recruits would be full police officers, while the £100 million would not cover what was needed to pay for them, leading to cuts elsewhere.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “The Conservatives recruited over 20,000 extra police officers and gave the police an extra £922 million for policing this year, ensuring the police could protect the public and prosecute more criminals.

“Starmer has once again misled the public by claiming to recruit an extra 13,000 officers when the actual number is 3,000, and even that is not properly funded.”

Report: Swinney to probe concerns for money invested in paused Sutherland Spaceport

Thursday 5 December 2024 18:56 , Alex Croft

The First Minister says he will look into “completely reasonable” concerns around recouping public investment into Sutherland Spaceport after it was put on hold by the company developing the site.

The spaceport on the north coast of the Scottish mainland received £14.6 million in investment from the public sector over several years, including from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

However on Wednesday Orbex, a rocket manufacturing company which was also constructing the spaceport, suddenly announced it is pausing development at Sutherland and will instead launch from the rival SaxaVord Spaceport on the northern tip of the Shetland Islands.

Read the full report:

Swinney to probe concerns for money invested in paused Sutherland Spaceport

Higher bus fares risks rural routes closing, MP warns

Thursday 5 December 2024 18:36 , Alex Croft

An increase to the cap on bus fares puts rural routes at risk of closure, an MP has warned.

Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, told the Commons on Thursday: “The point that I want to make here is that if prices go up any further, patronage on buses goes down, and that is absolutely paramount in rural areas where we travel further and travel longer.

“To incentivise people to use buses in rural areas is a very difficult thing to do, so I think that we need to ensure that we get this right for rural areas.

“Increasing fares is not going to help us encourage more people to get out of their cars and use public transport.”

She had said earlier: “I hope that the recent removal of the £2 bus fare cap is not the start of things to come for rural areas.”

Britain needs a ‘vaccine taskforce’ to prepare for the next pandemic, Lords warn

Thursday 5 December 2024 18:15 , Rebecca Thomas, Health Correspondent

Britain needs a “peacetime vaccine task force” to prepare for the next pandemic, ministers have been warned amid concerns the government risks forgetting the lessons of Covid-19.

The government’s Science and Technology Committee has also called for the government to appoint a chief vaccines officer to help prepare the country for future threats.

In a letter sent this week, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chair of the committee, said evidence to an inquiry held by the committee raised “troubling concerns about our capacity to manufacture vaccines for future biological threats.”

Our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas reports:

Britain needs a ‘vaccine taskforce’ to prepare for the next pandemic, Lords warn

Tory MP Chris Philp sports black eye after being punched at football match

Thursday 5 December 2024 17:53 , Alex Croft

Why is the Legacy Act being abolished and what does it mean for Northern Ireland?

Thursday 5 December 2024 17:31 , Alex Croft

Without anyone much noticing, the government is to abolish one of the most controversial pieces of legislation passed by the last government: the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, commonly called the Legacy Act.

It was deeply resented by many in Northern Ireland, who saw it as denying them justice for loved ones killed or injured in the Troubles, but supported by others who felt that old soldiers doing their duty decades ago were being held to unrealistic human rights standards in what was in effect a theatre of war. Hilary Benn, the secretary of state, is thus facing some criticism as well as support for his actions. It is proving divisive and adds to the under-reported tensions in the province…

Sean O’Grady reports:

Why is the Legacy Act being abolished and what does it mean for Northern Ireland?

Mel Stride claims only reason Rwanda scheme failed was because Labour scrapped it

Thursday 5 December 2024 17:11 , Alex Croft

Mel Stride has claimed the only reason the previous Tory government’s Rwanda scheme failed to work was because it was scrapped by the Labour Party in their first week in office.

He comments came despite the scheme being bound up in legal challenges and failing to get a single flight off the ground in more than two years after it was announced by then-prime minister Boris Johnson.

While the shadow chancellor claimed a small number of people were sent to Rwanda, the only people that left the UK for the East African nation went voluntarily as part of a scheme separate to the forced deportation plan.

Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Mel Stride claims only reason Rwanda scheme failed was because Labour scrapped it

Starmer doesn’t understand the NHS crisis – A&E departments like mine are already broken

Thursday 5 December 2024 16:43 , Alex Croft

Earlier this week, I read the claims made by NHS leadership that operation targets will turn A&E departments into war zones. With no disrespect meant to those currently living in an actual war zone, have these NHS bosses seen the state of our A&Es currently?

Keir Starmer is unveiling his “Plan for Change” today – in which he (rightly) says the health service is “on its knees”. Yet while the government’s increased interest in improving the NHS is surely welcomed, throwing money at the problem is rarely a solution.

For departments on the frontline, like mine, it looks as though we won’t see much of that additional investment anyway. If the government is to pull funding from key areas such as emergency medicine, mental health and community healthcare to fund a political target of 92 per cent of routine operations and appointments within 18 weeks, they have misunderstood the real problems: bed space, patient flow and staffing.

Doctor Sarah Williams writes:

Starmer doesn’t understand NHS crisis – A&E departments like mine are already broken

Five months of Keir Starmer in numbers, from record tax rises to sinking ratings

Thursday 5 December 2024 16:24 , Alex Croft

Today marks five months since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, giving his first address at Downing Street on July 5.

By no coincidence, it is also the day that Sir Keir will be announcing his “plan for change” in a speech this morning; setting targets on the economy, NHS, public safety, energy security, and social mobility to enact before the next general election.

Sir Keir’s first five months in power, after a 14-year Labour hiatus, have been marked with challenges.

Just weeks into his time as prime minister, race riots erupted across the UK following the Southport stabbings, with more than 1,000 arrests and 300 sentences in the aftermath.

Our data correspondent Alicja Hagopian reports:

Keir Starmer’s first five months in numbers – from tax rises to sinking ratings

Push for more police risks ‘huge knock-on effect’ on ailing justice system, Law Society warns

Thursday 5 December 2024 16:02 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer’s push for 13,000 more police officers will have a “huge knock-on effect” on the rest of the crisis-stricken justice system, exacerbating record-high court backlogs and increasing pressure on prisons, the Law Society has warned.

While welcoming the PM’s focus on crime and justice, Law Society chair Richard Atkinson warned: “The crisis in the criminal justice system can only be dealt with holistically and it will be essential that the increased funding for more police officers is matched by investment in legal aid, the Crown Prosecution Service and courts.

“More police on the streets means more arrests and a huge knock-on effect on the rest of the system. More lawyers will be needed to provide legal advice despite there already being an alarming exodus of legal aid solicitors from the profession.

“More cases going to court will increase the huge backlogs with reports of trials already being listed for 2028. More people being locked up increases the pressure on already overwhelmed prisons.

“After decades of neglect of our criminal justice system, sustained investment and long-term measures which take all parts of the system – legal aid, police, prosecution, courts, prisons, probation – into account is the only solution.”

Ankle tagging and curfews to be used more to increase capacity, home secretary suggests

Thursday 5 December 2024 15:41 , Alex Croft

Starmer jokes he could be James Bond as he mocks Badenoch over working at McDonald's

Thursday 5 December 2024 15:24 , Alex Croft

What is Labour’s new ‘Plan for Change’?

Thursday 5 December 2024 15:23 , Alex Croft

Sir Keir Starmer has outlined Labour’s ‘Plan for Change’ in a landmark speech, outlining several new milestones which the Labour government hopes to acheive.

The event marked something of a relaunch of Labour’s policy aims, and builds on previously made commitments. The prime minister says the new pledges will define Labour’s aims to be acheived by the end of this parliament.

They include higher living standards, cutting NHS waiting lists clean power, and new infrastructure committments.

Albert Toth reports:

What is Labour’s new ‘Plan for Change’?

Comment | Keir Starmer has declared war on whoever has been in charge since July

Thursday 5 December 2024 14:30 , John Rentoul

Today’s event in Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire looked and sounded like the launch of a manifesto. Anyone tuning in without being told might think that the petition for an immediate general election had been successful, and that Keir Starmer was campaigning against whoever had been in charge since July.

He complained that productivity in the public sector had declined – a decline that would not be tolerated in the private sector. “I’m not going to subsidise it with ever-rising taxes on the British people,” he said, having just raised taxes on the British people.

But the more strenuously he proclaimed his “huge” and “ambitious” plan for change, the more striking was the contrast with the confusion, uncertainty and caution of the past five months.

John Rentoul writes:

Keir Starmer has declared war on whoever has been in charge since July

PM denies watering down green energy pledge

Thursday 5 December 2024 14:14 , Alex Croft

Sir Keir Starmer has denied watering down a green energy pledge after setting a target for the UK to be “on track” to deliver 95 per cent clean power by 2030.

The “milestone” in Sir Keir’s new “plan for change” pledges a measure in line with advice from the National Energy System Operator (Neso) aiming for 95% reliance on “low carbon generation”.

The Prime Minister denied there was a shift in position while announcing his plan at Pinewood Studios.

Sir Keir said: “The clean energy pledge is today exactly what it was in the election; that has always been central to our mission.”

He added: “The mission hasn’t changed from the day I launched it nearly two years ago.

“In terms of where we need to get to on clean energy by 2030, it’s exactly the same as it always was.

“There’s always going to be a mix but that is the pledge that we made two years ago. That is the mission and we’ve not changed it today.”

New law may see driver’s blood tested without consent after fatal collisions

Thursday 5 December 2024 14:01 , Alex Croft

Changes to the law may allow a driver’s blood to be tested without consent after fatal road traffic collisions, commons leader Lucy Powell has suggested.

A Labour MP raised the case of six-year-old Sharlotte-Sky Naglis who died after being hit by a drunk driver in Stoke in 2021. The driver, John Owen, spent 11 weeks in a coma after the accident and his blood could not be tested for evidence by police without his consent due to current legislation.

Claire, Sharlotte’s mother, is calling for section 7A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to be amended so blood can be tested without consent after fatal collisions.

In the Commons, Ms Powell told Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams that the government is “considering some possible changes to motoring offences to cover situations like this”.

In full: Keir Starmer’s six milestones for change

Thursday 5 December 2024 13:45 , Alex Croft

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has set out the six milestones in his “plan for change”.

Here they are in full:

1. Delivery of higher, real, household disposable income and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by the end of the Parliament. This is part of the goal of having the highest sustained economic growth in the G7.
2. At 1.5 million homes to be built in England and planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects to be fast-tracked.
3. To meet the NHS standard of 92 per cent of patients in England waiting no longer than 18 weeks for elective treatment.
4. An additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood roles in England and Wales with a named officer for every community.
5. A record of 75 per cent of five-year-olds ready to learn by the time they school.
6. Putting the UK “on track” to at least 95 per cent clean power by 2030.

Watch: Keir Starmer delivers Labour’s ‘plan for change’ in major speech

Thursday 5 December 2024 13:31 , Alex Croft

PM suggests successful delivery of government’s plans could counter rise of populist politics

Thursday 5 December 2024 13:09 , Tara Cobham

The prime minister suggested that successful delivery of the Government’s plans could counter the rise of populist politics.

In his speech given earlier, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Everyone can see there’s a growing impatience with traditional politics. Everyone can see how people are tired with those who fail to get the job done.

“Now, populism isn’t the answer to Britain’s challenges. Easy answers won’t make our country strong.

“But nobody can deny that this kind of politics feeds off real concerns.”

He added: “What people want from their politics, that hasn’t changed.

“They want a stable economy, they want their country to be safe, their borders secure, more cash in their pockets, safer streets in their town, opportunities for their children, secure British energy in their home and an NHS that is fit for the future.

“That is why we’ve set these missions. Missions to make our country strong, missions to make working people better off, missions this Government will deliver.”

‘These milestones aren’t a clear route to real change’: Green Party’s verdict on Starmer’s speech

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:57 , Tara Cobham

The Green Party’s co-leader has said “these milestones aren’t a clear route to real change” as he gave his verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s speech.

Adrian Ramsay said: “These milestones aren’t a clear route to real change. Today’s listicle, while pointing in the right direction on a handful of issues, is missing the wholesale ambition and drive that a Government elected on a change agenda needs.

“We have a country reeling from severe flooding and facing more storms this weekend, a country where people are struggling to heat their homes this winter, and a country worried about finding the school places and doctor appointments that those they love need.

“Instead of listing out a few priorities, suggesting that these will be delivered at the expense of other important issues, we wanted today to see a gear change in this government where they accept that we need to ask the very richest to pay more tax so we could properly fund all our frontline public services.”

Green party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay (right) (PA Wire)

PM insists migration would fall as he was repeatedly asked about its notable absence from milestones

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:42 , Tara Cobham

The prime minister insisted both legal and illegal migration would fall as he faced repeated questions from journalists about why the issue did not feature in the milestones he had set out.

Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: “We are going to drive down migration, both legal and illegal. That will only be done with a serious plan.

“We had a gimmick for a number of years called Rwanda. What happened? The numbers went up. We wasted a lot of money – £700 million – removing four volunteers to Rwanda. It didn’t work.

“The only way to make it work is to smash the gangs that are running the vile trade and that’s why we’ve invested so much in setting up the command that is needed to do that.”

He added the British public wanted “a serious plan to ensure we’ve got control of our borders, not arbitrary caps, not gimmicks”.

Sir Keir had earlier described the most recent migration figures as “shocking” and claimed the issue it did not feature in his milestones as reducing migration was one of the “foundational things that a government must do”.

The prime minister insisted both legal and illegal migration would fall as he faced repeated questions from journalists about why the issue did not feature in the milestones he had set out (EPA)

Reform UK criticises PM for not including migration in his milestones for government

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:39 , Tara Cobham

Reform UK criticised the Prime Minister for not including migration in his milestones for Government.

A Reform UK Spokesman said: “Keir Starmer’s milestones for Government doesn’t include immigration or any measurable targets to hold him to on immigration.

“After freezing pensioners, hiking taxes and risking the future of British farming, the damage has already been done.

“We were promised growth and change, instead we have had sleaze, dishonesty and more of the same that the Tories gave us. Britain needs Reform.”

Miliband deployed to explain why Labour is not watering down its 100% clean energy mission despite setting it at 95%

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:26 , Political editor David Maddox

Ed Miliband was deployed to explain to journalists why Labour is not watering down its 100 per cent clean energy mission despite setting it at 95 per cent.

He says: "It was always the case that we would have a small strategic reserve of gas. We have set that at 5 per cent."

Watch: Starmer takes six new pledges in attempted Labour relaunch

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:12 , Tara Cobham

Calls for two child benefit cap to be scrapped after Starmer refuses to do so in speech

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:11 , Tara Cobham

Calls for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped have been issued after Sir Keir Starmer refuses to do so in speech.

Responding to the prime minister’s speech today, Chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group Alison Garnham said: “The Prime Minister recognises that families can’t make ends meet but if change is to come it will require reinvestment in social security support. That’s the way to improve living standards for children and to give every child a fair chance of success. Abolition of the two- child limit is the first action struggling families need from the government’s child poverty taskforce.”

Calls for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped have been issued after Sir Keir Starmer refuses to do so in speech (Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)

Starmer insists Labour missions and milestones not confusing to the public

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:09 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer has been asked repeatedly to explain what his missions are compared to his milestones.

Members of the press watching his speech in Buckinghamshire have put their confusion to the prime minister, who has been forced to detail the differences are.

In a document published alongside his speech, Sir Keir listed a series of “milestones” he pledged to achieve over the course of this Parliament on the way to fulfilling the “missions” he set for himself before the election.

He insisted his milestones were not a reset of his priorities or confusing for the public to understand.

The PM told reporters: “I announced the missions two years ago as our five national missions to give a sense of purpose-driven Government, and like all of the strategies I have set down since I became Labour leader… we have had a strategy, we have had a plan and we have stuck to it.

“So those missions went down two years ago, we have stuck to them, I have just reiterated them now.”

He added: “We set out the milestones so that people can measure are we making proper progress on our missions, back to what we said two years ago and what will it feel like for me? Will I have more money in my pocket? Will I be able to get an appointment at the NHS if I need it?”

Sir Keir went on: “These are, if you like, something for the public to use to hold us to account on what we say we can achieve on the missions in the first five years.

“And I will be absolutely straight about it, it is also designed to push and drive the reform that we are going to need if we are going to ensure that we bring about the change that is so desperately needed.”

Badenoch slams relaunch as ‘confirmation Labour weren’t ready for government'

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:05 , Tara Cobham

Kemi Badenoch has slammed the prime minister’s relaunch announced this morning as confirmation Labour “still weren’t ready for government”.

The Conservative Party leader said in a post on X: “The prime minister's emergency reset confirms that Labour had 14 years in opposition and still weren’t ready for government:

“Nothing concrete on immigration - because Labour have no plan to control numbers

“Fastest growth in the G7 in this Parliament dropped - because of the hit to the economy from the Budget

“Costly plans for energy decarbonisation watered-down - while poor pensioners lose their winter fuel payments

“And fewer than a third of Labour’s 13,000 neighbourhood police are actually new police officers

“This relaunch can't hide the reality of a government that doesn’t know what it is doing.”

The Prime Minister's emergency reset confirms that Labour had 14 years in opposition and still weren’t ready for government:

❌Nothing concrete on immigration - because Labour have no plan to control numbers

📉Fastest growth in the G7 in this Parliament dropped - because of the…

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 5, 2024

Will new infrastructure projects include at-risk railway lines?

Thursday 5 December 2024 12:00 , Albert Toth

Keir Starmer has said that Labour will introduce 150 new major infrastructure projects to the UK, but gave little in the way of detail.

Hopes may be raised that the plans could include the dozens of rail projects placed at risk in the party’s spending review.

The Independent revealed the full list of these 36 vital transport links and hubs in October, all of which still face cancellation.

Whether today’s announcement means that these rail projects will be revived remains to be seen.

The 36 rail projects at risk of being scrapped to plug Labour’s £22bn black hole

Watch: Starmer compares fixing Britain’s foundations to household damp problem

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:59 , Tara Cobham

The government is 'simply moving the goal posts', Liberal Democrats claim

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:59 , Political correspondent Millie Cooke

The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of "simply moving the goalposts" after Sir Keir Starmer announced a new set of targets in his "plan for change" on Thursday.

Party leader Ed Davey said: “After years of Conservative chaos, the people want real change instead of a government simply moving the goalposts.

“The Liberal Democrats will hold this government’s feet to the fire on keeping its promises, most of all on fixing the NHS and care."

He also took aim at the government's failure to include a plan to make sure people can see a GP when they need to, saying: "Pledging to bring down waiting lists while neglecting GP services is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“Millions are struggling to get through to their GP or having to wait weeks for an appointment, which just piles more pressure on our hospitals while people go without the care they need.”

Sir Keir Starmer accused of watering down clean energy promise

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:53 , Political correspondent Millie Cooke

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of watering down green his clean energy promise, after the document accompanying the PM’s “plan for change” speech said the UK will be on track for at least 95 per cent clean power by 2030.

Before Labour was elected, the party pledged to make sure Britain is “leading the world with 100 per cent clean power by 2030”. Meanwhile, the party’s manifesto promised “clean power by 2030”.

Pointing out the discrepancy, shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said: “They’ve watered down their plans because they know they come with a monumental price tag.

“Labour aren’t taxing you to pay for the NHS - they’re taxing you to pay for Ed Miliband’s ideology.”

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of watering down green his clean energy promise (EPA)

Clearing asylum backlog is a better deterrent than Rwanda plan, Starmer says

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:44 , Political correspondent Millie Cooke

Sir Keir Starmer said clearing the asylum backlog and returning people to their home countries if their claims are rejected is a “much more meaningful deterrent” to those seeking to cross the channel in small boats than the Tories' Rwanda plan.

He accused the previous government of “spraying taxpayers’ money up the wall” on the deportation plan, with a total of £715m being spent on the scheme.

It comes just days after the prime minister blasted the Tories for what he said was an “open borders experiment” after net migration surpassed 900,000 last year.

PM vows to introduce 150 major infrastructure projects

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:43 , Tara Cobham

The prime minister has vowed to introduce 150 new major infrastructure projects.

Sir Keir Starmer described the pledge as a “clear message” to the NIMBYs.

He said the fresh projects would be in addition to Labour’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes.

Watch: Starmer jokes he could be James Bond as he mocks Badenoch over working at McDonald’s

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:40 , Tara Cobham

Starmer commits to ‘most ambitious and credible program for government in a generation'

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:40 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer has commited to what he called “the most ambitious and credible program for government in a generation”.

And he said: “We embrace the risk that comes with it.”

Analysis: Starmer pauses expecting applause but is met with more silence

Thursday 5 December 2024 11:38 , Political editor David Maddox

Sir Keir Starmer paused after saying "you choose change not because it is easy but because it's hard”, clearly expecting applause.

He briefly looked around at the unresponsive faces as his line was met with more silence.