Labour - is there any hope left?

[Selectivemute]

Life feels genuinely tough at the moment, and I am trying to remain optimistic.

But what has this Labour government actually achieved since July 2024?

Please tell me the positives, because I am struggling to see any, right now.

The "positives" as I see them are that they are so massively stupidly incompetent that they're going to self-immolate. And I write this as someone who actually stood as a Labour candidate in a local election several years ago.

Net migration down 69%
Millions of additional NHS appointments
Increased funding for policing
Increased resource for irregular migration processing
Pretty good handling of international affairs
Many manifesto pledges delivered or on track

Granted there have been some howlers too, but it isn't all bad by any stretch.

Net migration down 69%

The clue is in the "net" . We have been exporting millionaires and high esrners in droves and replacing them with lower earners than they were, many of whom will also become benefit claimants.

Many manifesto pledges delivered or on track

What a joke! What about all the things that have been introduced that were NOT in the manifesto? Restricting jury trials? Limiting the right to protest? Trying to bring in by the back door Assisted Suicide? Keeping the 2-child benefit cap until it absolutely became an electoral liability? Removing the winter fuel payments and then reinstating them because it was yet another electoral liability? Appointing Mandelson to anything? Increasing employer National Insurance contributions? Bringing in agricultural inheritance tax rules that's going to decimate family farms and not even deal with those who are abusing it to avoid inheritance tax? Changing the timeline for "day-one" unfair dismissal rights? To name but a few... Give us a break -- we're not blind.

There isn't actually any evidence that high net worth individuals are leaving in droves though.

As I said, there have been some howlers too.

Well - we didn’t follow the orange one into war with Iran - Tories probably would have done. That’s one big win in my book.

Well I suppose that depends on whether you call the number in 2025 doubling since 2024 "droves".

And whether you factor in that the top 10% of income tax payers pay over 60% of all income tax.

Agree totally

The irony that Starmer's biggest recent achievement is due to him being a passive PM who struggles to make decisions.

Well I suppose that depends on whether you call the number in 2025 doubling since 2024 "droves".

Where is the evidence for that though? I have never seen any actual real statistics. Of course, one could have left in 2024, and two in 2025 which would make it a true statement.

And whether you factor in that the top 10% of income tax payers pay over 60% of all income tax.

I definitely do.

They’ve actually achieved many of their manifesto pledges. You wont hear about any of it as the media are hooked on drama and wont report any of them.

After saying that I can’t believe some of the huge mistakes they’ve made including putting up business NI contributions. I think Starmer has to go and hopefully we’ll get a new leader and chancellor who have a bit more common sense.

Yup

The things I listed are more than "howlers"; they are adversely affecting real people.
The things you've listed are either exaggerations or don't affect us in the same way. Your claim that there are millions of additional NHS appointments, yet there has been no increase in funding for GPs, only more pressures put on them. "Pretty good" handling of international affairs! I suppose if you consider condoning using starvation and destruction of infrastructure as justifiable that could be true.
But on balance, I think more people feel hurt by Labour than helped. But keep on seeing the bright side, eh?

Here’s my top three;

Renters’ rights act bringing an end to fixed term tenancy agreements and no fault evictions.

Changes to employment rights including giving low paid workers access to statutory sick pay for the first time

Big increase in support for childcare costs for working parents

That’s not really how it was - he looked into it and considered - Kemi would have been straight in without really reviewing it. Farage would have run there. They may pretend not now, but we know what they said at the time.

And even upto this, and on other issues than Iran, he’s doing pretty ok on the currently difficult international side.

I am so glad of this right now.

“What has this Labour government achieved?”

Economy & Growth
Industrial Strategy: Launched a new Modern Industrial Strategy aimed at high-growth sectors, securing, according to government figures, £100 billion in private investment.
National Wealth Fund: Established a £7.3 billion National Wealth Fund to invest in clean energy and growth industries.
Workers' Rights: Published the Employment Rights Bill to ban exploitative zero-hour contracts, end fire-and-rehire practices, and provide day-one rights for sick pay and parental leave.
Minimum Wage: Implemented a minimum wage increase, boosting pay for over 3 million workers.
Business Support: Set a target for 50% of steel used in the UK to be made in Britain and tackled late payments to small businesses.

NHS & Public Services
Waiting Lists: Reported the first reduction in NHS waiting lists in two years, aiming for a 92% compliance with the 18-week standard.
GP Appointments: Recruited over 1,700 new GPs and agreed to a new GP contract to improve access.
Dental Care: Launched a plan to provide 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments.
Mental Health: Rolled out mental health support teams to schools.

Energy & Environment
Great British Energy: Launched GB Energy, a publicly-owned company backed with £8.3 billion to invest in renewable projects.
Onshore Wind: Lifted the ban on onshore wind projects in England immediately upon entering office.
Water Quality: Introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to enable criminal charges against water bosses who pollute rivers and seas.
New Oil & Gas: Stopped issuing new licenses for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

Housing & Infrastructure
Planning Reform: Revamped planning regulations to prioritize building 1.5 million new homes over the Parliament and mandated housing targets for local authorities.
Renters' Rights: Initiated the banning of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions.
Infrastructure: Fast-tracked decisions on over 150 major economic infrastructure projects.

Transport
Rail Nationalization: Passed the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill to bring train operating companies back into public ownership.
Bus Services: Introduced legislation to allow local leaders to take control of bus services.

Education & Children
Teachers: Began the recruitment drive for 6,500 new teachers in key subjects.
Schools & Nurseries: Launched a programme to deliver 3,000 school-based nurseries and rolled out free breakfast clubs to primary schools.
Private Schools: Removed VAT exemption and business rates relief from private school fees.
Child Poverty: Established a cross-government task force to tackle child poverty.

Crime & Security
Neighbourhood Policing: Started the rollout of 13,000 extra police officers and PCSOs in neighbourhood roles.
Border Security: Scrapped the Rwanda scheme and established a new Border Security Command to disrupt smuggling gangs.
Retail Crime: Introduced a new standalone offence for assaulting retail workers.

Democracy & Foreign Affairs
House of Lords: Introduced legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote.
Trade: Negotiated new trade agreements with the EU and India.
Defence: Launched a Strategic Defence Review and reaffirmed a commitment to 2.5% of GDP spending on defence.

(Note: The above information reflects reports and tracking data as of late 2025/early 2026).

You’re welcome😊

Did they all go to the Gulf ?

The OP didn't ask for a list of the bag stuff though, hence I listed the positives.

And the pretty good handling of international affairs is true. I can't imagine many other politicians handling Trump the way Starmer has. Certainly Farage and Badenoch would have been at war by now.

I think the problem with politics now is that nobody has a balanced view, and everyone wants instant results. The Conservatives left a complete disaster, and on top of that we have Trump and the Iran situation to deal with. We need less rotation at the moment. I didn't vote for them, and I don't like them much, but they're really isn't anyone else. Nobody in the Labour Party wants the job, probably Starmer too. None of the other parties have anything credible to offer either.

Kemi would have us at war with Iran and our national security would be in dire straits as a result. We are currently as safe as we can be given the precarious global situation and that’s more important than anything.

Renters’ rights act bringing an end to fixed term tenancy agreements and no fault evictions.
Renters’ rights act forcing many landlords to sell hence drastic reduction of properties to rent. It's never been that bad for renters as it is now.

Changes to employment rights including giving low paid workers access to statutory sick pay for the first time
Making businesses, especially SMEs, stop hiring people, and this is still before AI makes full effect. Unemployment is growing fast, especially amongst lower pair.

Big increase in support for childcare costs for working parents.
Funded by taxes paid by working higher paid parents who are now forced to go part time to stay under threshold.

But Starmer made a good judgement about Iran, I respect this. And I also like an attempt to move closer to EU, but it's not close enough or fast enough for me.

To add . ‘We’re going to abolish Leasehold in 100 days ‘ . Another lie .

The biggest disappointment for me is that we are now going to have yet another change of PM.

I so hoped we'd got off that merrygoround.

I did also believe that they couldn't do worse than the Tories but that isn't looking good so far.

Trade: Negotiated new trade agreements with the EU and India.

Translation, gave away things to India that had been sticking points in a negotiated which was largely complete at the time they took office, gave away things to the EU that anyone could have given away to get what they did in return. Neither of those are "negotiation", they are Capitol, just as the resolution of the train driver and the doctors pay disputes were.

Defence: Launched a Strategic Defence Review and reaffirmed a commitment to 2.5% of GDP spending on defence.

And increased welfare payments instead of reducing them, so they have no idea how that can ever be paid for.

This is so disingenuous.

Net migration is down because emigration is up - ie people leaving the country. And they're typically leaving the country because immigration - nearly one million people per year - is soaring.

The foreign-born population continues to rise - and sharply.