In December 2024, Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced his administration’s ambitious “plan for change”, aimed at addressing critical societal challenges through a series of pledges. These commitments primarily focus on pivotal areas such as housing, healthcare, living standards, crime, and education. Starmer’s framework set measurable targets, which he referred to as “milestones,” to ensure accountability and the ability to monitor progress towards improving the quality of life for British citizens. Now, nearly a year since the announcement, a critical examination of the government’s performance regarding these pledges is warranted.
### Housing Initiatives
A cornerstone of Starmer’s proposals includes a pledge to construct 1.5 million “safe and decent homes” in England by 2029. This ambitious goal seeks to address the long-standing housing crisis. To evaluate progress, the government measures ‘net additional dwellings’, a metric that calculates the number of new houses and flats built or converted against those that were demolished. Despite no specific annual target, reaching the overall goal requires an average of 300,000 homes to be constructed each year. In a disappointing development, current figures indicate that Labour has managed to add just over 200,000 homes per year. This shortfall stands in stark contrast to the closing years of the last Conservative government, revealing that the current delivery rate has, so far, diminished rather than improved.
### Healthcare Progress
Reforming healthcare is another significant aspect of Starmer’s agenda. The government aims to ensure that 92% of patients in England are seen within 18 weeks by the conclusion of the parliamentary term. Recent NHS data for October 2025 show that 61.7% of patients due for procedures were addressed within this timeframe. This marks a slight increase from the 58.8% figure when Labour assumed power. However, the target has not been met since 2015, indicating a substantial journey ahead in returning to previous performance levels.
### Enhancing Living Standards
Living standards across the UK are under scrutiny, with the commitment to enhance these standards significantly featured in Starmer’s plan. The government anticipates growth in ‘real household disposable income’ (RHDI) per person over the parliamentary period. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), tasked with economic predictions, forecasts that RHDI will increase by merely 0.5% annually on average. This anticipated growth is particularly sobering, as it would represent the second weakest rate since the 1970s, following a period of declines seen under prior Conservative governance.
### Crime Reduction Efforts
Starmer’s initiative also encompasses a commitment to bolster community safety by deploying an additional 13,000 officers, police community support officers (PCSOs), and volunteer special constables across England and Wales by the end of the parliamentary term. According to the latest Home Office data, as of March 2025, there were 17,175 full-time equivalent officers and PCSOs active in neighbourhood roles, reflecting a modest increase of 1.3% from the previous year. The details regarding the 13,000 target remain unspecified, leaving some uncertainties regarding the impact of this police reinforcement on crime reduction.
### Education Priorities
On education, Starmer aims to ensure that 75% of five-year-olds in England are prepared for schooling, defined by achieving a “good level of development” in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment. The data from the Department for Education indicates that 68.3% of children met this benchmark in the 2024-25 academic year, showing a minor increase from the previous year’s 67.7%. This suggests that while progress is evident, achieving the ambitious target remains a considerable challenge.
### Clean Power Commitment
Lastly, in what could be viewed as a concession from its original manifesto promise, the government has now shifted its aim to achieving “at least 95% clean power” by 2030, down from a promise for “zero-carbon electricity.” The National Energy System Operator states it is plausible to establish a clean power system by 2030. However, government statistics reveal that as of 2024, only 73.8% of electricity came from clean sources, indicating significant work is still necessary to meet this goal.
### Conclusion
As Starmer’s government reflects on its promises made nearly a year ago, the path ahead is fraught with challenges. While there are noteworthy advances in several areas, substantial gaps remain that must be addressed to realize the intended reforms. The forthcoming months will be critical in determining how effectively these initiatives will be operationalized and whether they will meet the expectations set forth for the nation. Cashing in on accountability through measurable milestones may provide the needed framework to assure the public of genuine efforts toward transformative change.
