Labour’s manifesto pledges vs what actually happened ...Middle East

When Labour entered government with a sweeping majority of 174, it did so on a platform of change.

There were optimistic promises of economic stability, a housing revival, NHS reform, green investment and a tougher immigration stance with a pledge to “smash the gangs”.

A year later, the party finds itself caught between the weight of those expectations and the reality of governing in turbulent times.

As Sir Keir Starmer’s Government marks its first full year in office, The i Paper has assessed how far Labour has come in delivering on the core pledges of its 2024 manifesto — and what challenges lie ahead.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves poses with the red Budget Box as she leaves 11 Downing Street, in October last year to present the Autumn budge (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP)

Manifesto pledge: “Deliver economic stability with tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible.”

Progress so far: Since Labour came to power, UK growth has been practically stagnant, aligning with the G7 average, with 0.7 per cent growth in the first quarter of the year, followed by a 0.3 per cent contraction in April. Inflation dropped slightly to 3.4 per cent in May from 3.5 per cent in April, but remains above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target.

The public is also sceptical about the Government’s progress. Keiran Pedley, director of politics at Ipsos, said that “the majority of the public are disappointed with what they’ve got from Labour so far”, with 56 per cent expressing dissatisfaction and Starmer’s approval ratings declining sharply.

When asked about Labour’s handling of the economy, 54 per cent of respondents said the Government has done a bad job, while only 21 per cent said it has done a good job.

Pedley summarises the mood: “A majority of the public think that Labour has done a bad job on key issues like reducing the cost of living and managing the economy.”

While the Chancellor’s tight fiscal rules that day-to-day spending will not be met through borrowing but by taxation, and a pledge not to raise income tax, employee national insurance or VAT, has gone down well with the financial markets, it has limited her room to manoeuvre.

Critics argue that her other methods of raising money to meet what she claimed was a £22bn black hole left by the Conservatives – such as welfare cuts and limiting winter fuel payments – has led to embarrassing U-turns. It is also claimed that her decision to raise employer National Insurance has harmed growth due to increased business costs.

Challenges ahead: Within only a year under their belts, it might be hard to tell how much progress Labour is making on improving the economy.

But, there are arguments that they could be doing more. Helen Miller, the new director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said Labour had made a “mistake” constraining itself with strict fiscal rules and pledges not to raise taxes.

“They could have been reforming taxes. That’d be one of the ways that you could drive up growth, and that is just a missed opportunity,” she told The i Paper.

“Given that growth is important, we should be throwing the kitchen sink at it and not the table.”

The Chancellor also has the added pressure of the recent U-turns on winter fuel and welfare reforms, the cost of which has eaten into the headroom she will have at her autumn budget. With less money to play with, she might struggle to fund growth-promoting measures later this year.

Verdict: Labour has delivered economic stability in the narrow sense of avoiding market shocks, but growth remains sluggish and public approval is falling.Sticking to Tory spending plans has reassured markets but the Chancellor has boxed herself in. Attempts to save money through welfare cuts have backfired leaving her with little room to manoeuvre and economists argue her fiscal headroom is too small. The jury is still out.

Housing

Manifesto pledge: “Reform our planning rules to build the railways, roads, labs and 1.5 million homes we need and develop a new 10-year infrastructure strategy.”

Progress so far: Despite pledges to boost housebuilding, planning approvals in the UK have slumped to a 13-year low. Only 39,170 were approved in the first quarter of this year, marking a 55 per cent drop from the previous quarter and the lowest total since 2012.

The annual total fell to 225,067, 7 per cent below the prior year and far short of the 370,000 needed to stay on track for 1.5 million homes.

Housing is, however, one area “where people are inclined to trust Labour more than other parties”, according to Pedley. Ipsos polling of 1,100 adults from June shows that Labour is seen as more credible on housing than Reform or the Conservatives, with 23 per cent trusting Labour the most, compared to 14 per cent for Reform.

Challenges ahead: The scale of the housing crisis and the slow pace of change pose serious challenges for Labour in its 1.5 million home goal.

Camron Aref-Adib, economist at the Resolution Foundation, suggested that Labour needs to be bolder if it wants to meet the target.

“With so much ground to be made up, the Government’s existing planning reforms look relatively modest, and scope remains for more radical reforms that would speed up the new homes sorely needed across the country,” he said.

“Their prioritisation of housing is welcome, but while they are heading in the right direction, any changes implemented during this parliament will ultimately take more than five years to bear fruit.”

Verdict: Labour has outlined ambitious housing targets, but actual planning approvals have dropped sharply. The public still trusts Labour more than its rivals on housing, but results are limited so far. Without faster action, the 1.5 million homes pledge is unlikely to be met.

Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting meet a patient as they visit Bassetlaw Hospital Nottinghamshire to launch Labour’s Plans to clear the NHS backlog in June 2024 (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

Manifesto pledge: “Cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more appointments every week. Double the number of cancer scanners. A new dentistry rescue plan. 8,500 additional mental health staff. Return of the family doctor.”

Progress so far: NHS England figures show that the total waiting list fell from 7.42 million to 7.39 million, marking the first reduction in April in 17 years.

However, performance remains well below targets: only 59.8 per cent of patients are seen within 18 weeks, compared with a target of 92 per cent, and the 62-day limit for cancer treatment waits is only achieved 70 per cent of the time.

The public is yet to be convinced that things are changing. A recent Ipsos poll found that 65 per cent of the public have not found it easier to see a GP, while a similar proportion felt little progress had been made on cutting waiting times.

Challenges ahead: As Anna Quigley, research director at Ipsos, puts it, this polling shows that regardless of the actual progress made, the public remains sceptical.

“These findings highlight the challenges facing the Labour government in convincing the public that they are making headway on their NHS pledges… The Government will need to demonstrate tangible improvements in NHS services to build broader public confidence,” she said.

The Government is due to announce its 10-year plan for the NHS on Wednesday – a flagship long-term policy designed to guide service reform, staffing, and technology upgrades.

However, as outlined in a recent briefing by The Health Foundation, difficult choices lie ahead.

“Public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time low and NHS staff are experiencing high levels of stress and burnout,” it read.

“Any vision for the future needs to be combined with confidence it can happen.”

Verdict: The Labour government has achieved a slight reduction in NHS waiting lists, but performance still lags far behind key targets and is yet to reassure the public of progress. The forthcoming 10-year NHS plan will be central to addressing systemic pressures, but it must be matched with credible funding and prioritisation. Without that, Labour risks falling short on one of its most visible pledges.

Infrastructure

Manifesto pledge: “Unleash investment with a new National Wealth Fund to invest in the industries for the future, and Great British Energy to accelerate the transition to Clean Power. Our plan will create 650,000 jobs in the industries of the future.”

Progress so far: Labour has launched a £7.3bn National Wealth Fund, aiming to crowd in three times private capital, initially focusing on green steel, hydrogen, ports and gigafactories. As part of this, Starmer has promised to fast-track decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament.

However, none of the fund’s capital has been deployed yet. It is still being designed and is not expected to be fully operational until early 2026.

Great British Energy is now operational, with early strategy planning underway, and Ofgem has approved £24bn in funding for electricity grid upgrades, signalling institutional momentum.

Miller noted that Labour has “picked a longer-run approach” when it comes to investment, which is essential for growth, but stressed that “the proof in the pudding… is whether the investments are delivered.”

“I think they’ve got a plan. They’ve got some sectors they want to encourage. I think now they have to focus on delivery,” she added.

Challenges ahead: The major challenge for Labour’s infrastructure plans lies in their effective execution.

Past projects, such as HS2, have encountered delays and cost overruns, undermining confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver complex infrastructure on time and within budget.

Verdict: Labour has launched its wealth fund and made early progress on infrastructure planning. However, delivery remains theoretical, with key investments yet to be deployed. Long timelines mean many results won’t be visible before the next election.

Immigration

Manifesto pledge: “Reform the immigration and skills system to ensure Britain is developing home-grown skills with workforce plans to meet the needs of industries and the economy.”

And: “Launch a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators and use counter-terror powers to smash criminal boat gangs.”

Progress so far: Provisional estimates show 948,000 long‑term immigrants arrived in the UK in the year ending December 2024, with 517,000 emigrants, resulting in net migration of 431,000.

This represents a decline from the previous year’s figures, but net migration was always expected to decline from 2024 onwards from its historic high in 2021.

The Government released a White Paper on immigration in May 2025, outlining policy changes such as closing the Skilled Worker route for social care, stricter English language requirements, and longer residence periods before settlement.

The Home Office estimates these could reduce visas by 100,000 annually. However, many details are still uncertain, and the overall effect on net migration remains unclear.

Starmer also wants to return failed asylum seekers to third countries – so-called return hubs – but was embarrassed when Albania said it would not participate, despite the PM making his announcement there.

A new Border Security Command has failed to stem the flow of small-boat arrivals, which remain at elevated levels.

The number of people crossing the Channel rose sharply during the first year of the Labour government, with approximately 42,000 arrivals in the year ending 30 June 2025. This represents a 34 per cent increase from the previous year and is near the record levels seen in 2022.

The number of people crossing the Channel on small boats has now reached a record level for the first half of the year. Home Office figures show 19,982 migrants made the risky journey by the end of June – a 48 per cent increase on the equivalent period the year before.

Challenges ahead: Although net migration is declining, it remains high compared to historical norms and exceeds manifesto aspirations. The Government itself has admitted that the reforms will take several years to deliver meaningful reductions in migration totals.

Irregular arrivals persist, and enforcement challenges mean asylum decisions and returns remain slow, risking mounting public pressure.

The Government needs to balance its goals for developing local skills with concerns about immigration and labour shortages. Planning the workforce across industries is important, but it may be challenging to do so quickly.

Verdict: There is no doubt the government is serious about curbing immigration – if only to have a chance of reelection – but its “smash the gangs” policy has so far failed to stop the boats. Conservative-era curbs on student migration are starting to bite, but the government is realising just how difficult the challenge is.

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