Keir Starmer is trying to ‘reboot’ his government after a disastrous start | Politics | News

Sir Keir Starmer will vow to achieve “ambitious but achievable” targets this week as he tries to put a tumultuous start at No 10 behind him.

He will ask voters to judge him on “milestones” such as improving the NHS and growing the economy, in a bid to draw a line under the controversies that dominated his first five months in office, including cuts to winter fuel payments.

Some Labor MPs see the speech, described by Downing Street as a “blueprint for change”, as an admission that the government has failed to get its message across. The latest setback was the resignation of former transport secretary Louise Hay after she pleaded guilty to fraud in 2014.

The Labor Party veteran said: “This is clearly an attempt at a reset. And so it should be, because the Labor Party is off to a disastrous start.”

Sir Keir will also signal that government departments could face spending cuts in a tough spending review next spring, which will include a “line-by-line” analysis of each item of spending.

A new Cabinet Secretary, the most senior civil servant in the country, will inevitably be announced and will be tasked with overseeing a revolution in Whitehall to ensure civil servants across all departments work together to achieve the government’s goals. Simon Case, who currently holds the £200,000-a-year post, announced in September that he was stepping down.

Sir Keir said: “This Plan for Change is the Government’s most ambitious but fair program in a generation. Mission-led government does not mean choosing milestones just because they are easy or will happen anyway. This means relentlessly pursuing real improvements in the lives of working people.”

He added: “Our Plan for Change is the next step in realizing the Government’s mission. Some may oppose what we do and there will no doubt be obstacles along the way, but this Government was elected with a mandate for change and our plan reflects the priorities of working people.”

Labor has previously set out five “missions” which include delivering the highest sustainable economic growth in the G7, creating a green energy system by 2030, reducing NHS waiting times, cutting crime and recruiting 6,500 more teachers -specialists. The speech is expected to expand on this topic with clear goals that will allow voters in the next election to judge whether the government has succeeded.

Downing Street insists it has already made significant progress, stabilizing the economy, creating a new Border Security Command to tackle the problem of small boats crossing the English Channel and increasing funding for the National Health Service by £22 billion.

One Labor MP said the government had taken measures that the public supported, such as improving workers’ rights and regulating buses to improve services, but added: “The communication has been terrible. All voters know is bad stuff.”

Another Labor MP said: “Usually a government that wins a majority like this is buzzing with energy. It feels like we are living in dog times of government.”

Labor frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth, a former member of Sir Keir’s shadow cabinet, said: “This week Keir Starmer will show that he is dealing with the country’s problems by planning to get them done.”

But he warned: “Many Sunday Express readers put their faith in Labor at the last general election, in some cases for the first time.

“Labour’s senior team must remember that trust is precious and not take it for granted.”

Mr Ashworth, now chief executive of the Starmer-backed think tank Labor Together, said: “Labour will never make the mistakes the Tories made. But complaining about the latest batch isn’t enough.

“British people voted for change in the general election and want the pace of change to accelerate.”