PM says he would not change a thing despite bruising first five months in power
Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged his Government had done ‘tough stuff’ since coming to office in July.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he would not do anything differently if given the chance to relive his first five months in power, despite the turmoil and criticism he has faced.
The Prime Minister has faced backlash over an inheritance tax hike for farmers and the decision to limit the winter fuel allowance to only the poorest pensioners, as well as accusations of betraying the so-called Waspi women who faced changes to their state pension age.
His top team has also been subject to internal turmoil, with chief of staff Sue Gray ousted in favour of long-time Labour adviser Morgan McSweeney.
Despite his hopes of driving growth and prosperity, the Prime Minister is grappling with a sluggish economy and stubborn inflation in the aftermath of Labour’s first Budget.
Speaking at the Liaison Committee of senior MPs, Sir Keir was insistent he would not change a thing when asked by its Labour chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier: “Is there anything that you would do differently if you were starting out now, knowing what you know?”
“No,” he replied.
He added: “We have had to do tough stuff, we are getting on with it and I am very pleased to be delivering from a position of power, rather than going around the division lobbies losing every night.
“I have had too much of that.”
Sir Keir had earlier pleaded for patience over his drive to improve living standards, warning it “will take some time” for people to feel the benefits.
The Prime Minister hopes changes to planning rules, reforms to regulations and the use of technology and artificial intelligence could help boost sluggish economic growth.
But he told the Liaison Committee he would not repeat the mistakes of the Tory years and promise quick solutions.
The Prime Minister’s appearance came on the day the Bank of England held interest rates at 4.75% and warned of “heightened uncertainty in the economy” following the UK Budget and US presidential election.
Inflation has also increased, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rising to 2.3% in October and 2.6% in November, while the UK economy unexpectedly contracted in October, marking two months in a row of negative growth for the first time since the pandemic.
Sir Keir said: “We’ve had a decade – slightly more – of stagnant growth or low growth, and we’ve got to turn that around.”
The Budget was intended to “stabilise the economy” and create the conditions for investment, he said.
“We’ve obviously got to carry out reforms – to planning in particular, to regulation in particular – to drive the growth that we need.”
In his first appearance before the panel of senior MPs who are the chairs of the Commons select committees, Sir Keir said some people were already feeling the benefits of Labour’s reforms.
The increase in the national living wage was a “pay rise for the three million who are the lowest paid” and public sector workers were also feeling the benefit of pay deals.
“In addition to that, the measures that we put in place will improve living standards,” he said.
“It will take some time, of course it will.
“One of the biggest mistakes, I think, in the last 14 years was the idea that everything could be fixed by Christmas. It can’t.
“The planning will take time. The change in regulation will take time, we’ve got a national wealth fund which is investing, getting record investment into the country, that will take time.
“But already some of the lowest paid are already feeling the benefits of a Labour government through what we did in the Budget.”
Elsewhere during the committee:
– Sir Keir rejected the suggestion the UK would have to choose between a closer trade deal with the EU and a free trade agreement with the US.
– The PM said he was “alive to the dangers of tariffs” when Donald Trump takes power, but would not speculate about what the new US president might do on trade.
– Tech giants should not get a subsidy off the back of British creative industries, the Prime Minister signalled, though he acknowledged there was a need to strike a balance to allow AI to flourish.
– The Government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes is “a stretch”, Sir Keir said, as he suggested rules on protecting nature might not need to be applied for every planning project.
– The Prime Minister said he was not in favour of blanket safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK.
