UK Government Progress Report: Assessing Key Pledges Under Starmer

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting scrutiny as his government approaches its first full year since launching the ambitious “Plan for Change.” This comprehensive policy framework, introduced in late 2024, established clear benchmarks for success by the end of Parliament in 2029. As the Prime Minister prepares to face questioning from senior MPs on the House of Commons Liaison Committee, an analysis of progress on three critical pledges reveals a government still struggling to gain momentum.

Housing Crisis Response Falls Short of Targets

The Starmer government pledged to deliver 1.5 million net additional homes in England over the current Parliament, requiring an average construction rate of approximately 300,000 homes annually. However, current building rates hover just above 200,000 homes per year, creating a substantial shortfall in the early stages of the plan.

Government ministers have insisted that construction will accelerate in later years to meet the 1.5 million target. This backloaded approach raises concerns among housing experts, particularly as current delivery rates have actually decreased compared to the final years of the previous Conservative administration. The slowdown comes amid a persistent national housing crisis, with first-time buyers continuing to face affordability challenges across much of the country.

The housing shortfall represents a significant political vulnerability for Starmer, who made addressing the housing crisis a central campaign promise. Industry analysts point to ongoing challenges including planning restrictions, materials costs, and skilled labor shortages as potential barriers to reaching the ambitious target.

NHS Waiting Times Show Modest Improvement

In healthcare, the government committed to ensuring 92% of patients in England would receive treatment within 18 weeks of referral. Current figures show approximately 62% of patients meeting this timeline – far below the target but showing tentative signs of improvement over the past year.

The NHS continues to grapple with the aftermath of pandemic-era backlogs, staffing shortages, and increasing demand from an aging population. Historical data reveals the system has not consistently achieved the 92% target since around 2016, with performance plummeting to a low of 45% during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

While recent months have shown a slight upward trajectory, health policy experts question whether the current pace of improvement is sufficient to reach the target by 2029. The government’s autumn budget allocated additional funding to the NHS, though critics argue more substantial reforms are needed to address structural issues within the healthcare system.

Living Standards: Modest Growth Following Decline

Perhaps most crucial to voters is the government’s pledge to grow real household disposable income per person – a comprehensive measure of living standards that accounts for taxes, benefits, and inflation. After years of stagnation, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now forecasts growth in this metric averaging 0.5% annually over the Parliament.

While any growth represents an improvement over the previous Parliament, which saw living standards actually decline under Conservative leadership between 2019 and 2024, the projected improvement still makes this the second-weakest Parliament for living standards growth since the 1970s. This modest growth pales in comparison to historical periods, particularly the late 1980s when annual growth approached 4%.

The sluggish forecast reflects broader economic challenges facing the UK, including persistent productivity issues, global economic uncertainty, and the aftermath of inflation spikes that eroded purchasing power. The government has implemented several policies aimed at economic growth, though many economists believe significant structural reforms will be necessary to substantially improve living standards.

As Prime Minister Starmer prepares to face parliamentary scrutiny, these early performance indicators suggest his government faces significant challenges in delivering on its flagship promises. With four years remaining before the next scheduled general election, ministers will need to accelerate progress considerably if they hope to fulfill the ambitious targets that defined their “Plan for Change.”