Amid a torrent of negative headlines and political cynicism, the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has quietly enacted a significant legislative agenda in 2025, focusing on child welfare, employment rights, and public service investment. Yet, as columnist Polly Toynbee argues, a combination of hostile media and the government's own reluctance to trumpet its successes has left much of the electorate unaware of these advances.
Children First: A Core Labour Priority
The government's most profound interventions have been in family and child policy, marking a return to foundational Labour principles. Over half a million more children in England now qualify for free school meals, alongside the provision of free breakfasts and measures to reduce uniform costs. In a move with far-reaching implications, the abolition of the controversial two-child limit on benefits is set to lift approximately 550,000 children across the UK out of poverty.
Expanding childcare has been a centrepiece, with free provision making some families better off by as much as £7,500 per child annually. This is bolstered by the launch of 1,000 new Best Start family hubs in England, reviving the Sure Start model of the Blair-Brown era. In education, the curriculum in England has seen arts restored, and a youth service revival is underway with 250 new centres, further education colleges, and construction courses.
Workers, Renters, and Rail: Shifting the Balance of Power
Beyond child policy, Labour has moved decisively on economic and social reforms. The landmark Employment Rights Act has overhauled working conditions across England, Scotland, and Wales, effectively ending exploitative zero-hours contracts and "fire and rehire" practices. This pro-worker shift is further underscored by a substantial increase in the UK minimum wage—6.7% in the government's first year, followed by a further 4.1% rise in April.
For renters, a major new protection has been introduced. The Renters' Rights Act now shields 11 million private tenants in England from no-fault evictions. In transport, a policy of renationalising the railways is progressing, accompanied by a freeze on rail and bus fares in England and plans for pay-per-mile road pricing for electric cars by 2028 to encourage public transport use.
The Unseen Challenges and the Missing Narrative
Despite these actions, the government faces severe headwinds. It is frequently described as unpopular, with Starmer labelled the most unpopular prime minister ever—a moniker also given to each of the last four incumbents. Key issues remain unaddressed, such as electoral reform, while over 4 million children still live in poverty and public services strain under pressure.
Internally, the government has struggled to communicate a coherent "red thread" linking its policies, often wavering in its messaging. This has occurred even as economic indicators show glimmers of improvement, with some analysts suggesting the pervasive economic "doom is overdone." The government has also taken significant foreign policy steps, including recognising the state of Palestine and rejoining the EU's Erasmus programme.
From NHS investments funding 2,000 extra GPs and 170 diagnostic centres, to a major £63bn green energy push and the passage of a right-to-die bill for England and Wales, the legislative footprint is substantial. However, as Toynbee concludes, without a confident narrative to match its actions, a government doing "far more than it gets credit for" risks having its story written solely by its opponents.
