Key issues during Keir Starmer's time as UK Prime Minister
Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces growing pressure after four aides resigned and over 60 backbench MPs demanded his resignation following poor local election results in May 2025. Since taking office in July 2024, Starmer has navigated challenges including welfare cuts, riots, diplomatic tensions with the US, and a shift in defence spending amid the Ukraine war.
Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in July 2024 after Labour secured a landslide victory with over 400 seats, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. His tenure has been marked by internal strife, with seven Labour MPs suspended in July 2024 for opposing welfare limits, and Sue Gray resigning as chief of staff in October 2024 amid reports of infighting. Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced £40bn in new taxes in her first autumn budget, while Transport Secretary Louise Haigh quit in November 2024 over a 2013 criminal offence disclosure. Diplomatic tensions escalated in early 2025, with Elon Musk clashing with the UK over grooming gangs allegations and Donald Trump’s presidency sparking a trade threat after Labour nationalized British Steel in April 2025. Starmer committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, prompting International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to resign over cuts to overseas aid. A February 2025 summit in London saw Starmer lead efforts to establish a peacekeeping force for Ukraine, alongside European leaders. The government faced backlash in May 2025 after poor local election results, with Reform UK gaining seats and Labour losing ground. Starmer’s warning about the UK becoming an ‘island of strangers’ drew criticism, while a post-Brexit EU deal was reached in April 2025. By May 2025, four senior aides resigned, and over 60 Labour MPs called for Starmer’s resignation, signaling deep dissatisfaction with his leadership.
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