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Sir Keir Starmer used his first New Year’s message as UK prime minister to promise “a year of rebuilding” for Britain in 2025, conceding: “There is more to do.”

In the first message by a Labor premier in 15 years, Starmer signaled the challenges ahead by saying his administration had embarked on the “work of change”.

Despite a rocky start to his government, the prime minister pointed to early achievements, including a record increase in the minimum wage, large returns of foreign national criminals, large investments in projects in clean energy and more than £25bn earmarked for the National Health Service.

The first months of Starmer’s premiership were overshadowed by a row of freebies, a summer of race riots and an autumn Budget that raised taxes by £40bn a year.

workingA landslide election victory in July gave it 411 seats and almost total command of the House of Commons while reducing the Conservative party to 119 MPs after 14 years in power.

Even the latest aggregate of opinion polls shows Labor languishing on just 27 per cent, with the Tories not far behind on 25 per cent and right-wing Reform UK closing the gap on 22 per cent.

Now, Downing Street hopes it can win over a skeptical public by delivering on concrete issues such as cutting NHS waiting lists, building more homes and delivering more green energy schemes. .

“For a lot of people it’s hard to think about the future when you’re spending all your time fighting to get through the week,” Starmer said.

“That’s why I want to clarify. Until you can look forward and believe in the promise and prosperity of Britain again, then this government will fight for you. . . every waking hour.”

The prime minister is on his first holiday since the general election, having delayed his short holiday following the death of his brother Nick on Boxing Day.

Starmer reiterated his central targets of 1.5 million new homes, creating a more secure energy system, improving pre-school support, cutting health waiting lists, cutting immigration and tackling anti-social behavior in communities.

“That’s what we’re going to focus on. A year of rebuilding. . . a country that makes things. No matter how hard or difficult the circumstances are,” he said.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK – who won just five seats in July’s election but is surging in the polls – used his New Year’s message to uphold his ideals of “family, community and nation “, promising to make Britain a “better place.” “.

Farage said he was starting “semi-retirement” in 2024 with two grandchildren on the way.

But he is motivated to return to frontline politics by his desire for “proper border controls”, tackling the cost of living crisis and reducing net zero climate initiatives.

“Everyone recognizes that we’ve made a real impact over the course of the last six months,” he said. “We believe we can turn this country around 180 degrees and make Britain a better place.”