Starmer promises his ‘plan for change’ will improve people’s lives

The Prime Minister has promised a “relentless focus on outcomes for workers” ahead of a major speech setting targets to measure progress in his government’s plans.

As part of the ‘plan for change’, the government will promise a named, contactable police officer for every ward in England and Wales.

Thursday’s speech was billed as setting out the “next phase” of Sir Keir’s administration, detailing “steps” to achieve the five missions set out in Labour’s election platform.

Before the speech, Sir Keir said: “We were elected with a mandate for change.

“The next phase of mission-led government continues our relentless focus on worker satisfaction.

“Our plan for change sets out ambitious but achievable steps that will improve the lives of people across the country. »

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has already called the speech an “emergency reset” after a difficult five months in power.

Downing Street said these steps would focus on improving living standards, rebuilding the UK, ending hospital backlogs, putting more police officers on the ground, giving children the best start in life and securing locally produced energy.

Among the promises expected to be announced Thursday is a guarantee that each neighborhood will have a designated, contactable police officer to deal with local issues.

The prime minister is expected to describe the move as “a relief to millions of people who are afraid to walk the streets where they live” and promise a series of police reforms to improve performance, as well as a $100 million of pounds sterling to support neighborhood policing.

Labor has already pledged to field 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables by the next election, which would take the total police force to a level higher than its 2010 peak.

Police numbers declined after the 2010 elections, before increasing after 2019, with the previous government pledging to recruit 20,000 police officers.

While the number of agents has reached record levels, the number of PCSOs and special agents has continued to decline.

The extra £100 million next year would fund the recruitment of around 1,200 police officers, Home Secretary Yvette Cooer said.

The promise of an appointed officer for each community aims to improve relations between police and the public.

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

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “The Conservatives have recruited more than 20,000 extra police officers and given the police an extra £922 million for policing this year, ensuring that police can protect the public and pursue more criminals.

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

Sir Keir’s aims are based on Labour’s five “missions” set out in his manifesto: to achieve the “highest sustained growth” in the G7 group of wealthy democracies, to make Britain a “superpower of the ‘clean energy’, halve serious violent crime, break down ‘barriers to opportunity’ and build an NHS ‘fit for the future’.

Alongside the steps to be announced on Thursday, the prime minister is expected to propose a major program of public sector reform as his government continues to grapple with how it will achieve its goals without further tax increases and borrowing.

Sir Keir will say: “Hard-working Britons are grafting every day, but are being left behind by a policy that should serve them.

“They reasonably want a stable economy, a safe country, secure borders, more money in their pocket, safer streets in their city, opportunities for their children, secure British energy in their home and an NHS that is there when they. I need it.

“My government, led by its mission, will keep its promises. »