A month after its landslide election victory, the new British Labour government realises its first challenge is to quickly turn promises into action before the momentum of its “historic majority” wanes.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer understands that he must deliver tangible achievements, even if they are only initial steps, to quickly fulfil promises and convince sceptics that electing Labour after fourteen years of Conservative rule was the right choice. His goal is to demonstrate that Labour can halt the decline in public services, stabilise the economy, restore confidence, and enhance Britain’s leadership role in Europe, moving the country from stagnation to productivity.

However, the road is full of challenges. Turning campaign slogans into a practical governance plan is difficult for any party. It’s even more challenging for the Labour government, which is reorganising internally to become an effective ruling party while continuously working to gain citizens’ trust and facing opposition from the Conservative, Reform, and Green parties.

After successfully leading the Labour Party with a progressive, democratic spirit, Keir Starmer has repeatedly expressed his intention to restore confidence in democratic politics and practices, particularly in voting. Despite his party’s victory, voter turnout has declined compared to the last election in 2019, and was even low in his own district, where he received half the votes he had previously. Confidence will only be restored if citizens see the benefits of the government’s policies.

The government knows it is racing against time and has quickly implemented steps that reflect the six promises outlined in the Labour Party’s manifesto: economic stability, establishing the British Energy Company, reducing NHS waiting times, launching new border security leadership, intensifying campaigns against crime and hostile behaviour, and hiring 6,500 teachers for the education sector.

Economic growth and alternative energy

Starmer’s team aims to present his vision for growth and wealth generation in a “creative” manner, distinct from the approaches of previous leaders like Jeremy Corbyn, Ed Miliband, and even Tony Blair. However, this vision faces significant financial challenges, raising the crucial question: How can economic growth be achieved without increasing taxes? This is a key point of attack for the Conservative campaign, which argues that the Labour government will inevitably have to raise taxes.

For now, taxes on income, value-added tax, and social security contributions are not expected to increase, at least until the Chancellor of the Exchequer presents the budget next fall. Despite acknowledging the tough decisions required due to the Conservative government’s legacy, Minister Rachel Reeves has committed to fulfilling the promises made by the party before it came to power.

The Treasury’s first announcement was the lifting of the ban on onshore wind farms in coordination with the Minister of Energy Security. This move is the first step towards attracting investment in clean energy as part of the larger plan to achieve zero emissions, with the goal of reducing the heavy energy burden on consumers. The government plans to establish a British energy company, modelled after other European energy companies like those in France. Initially, this company will invest in solar energy projects and onshore wind farms, with Scotland as the headquarters for its facilities, to provide energy to the rest of Britain.

Although the government is promoting this policy’s success in creating job opportunities, boosting the economy, and reducing dependence on external sources – one of the lessons from the war in Ukraine – this alone may not convince sceptics of its feasibility as an alternative to the losses from suspending exploration licences in the North Sea. The government must prove its viability and show that it isn’t just swapping one project for another to attract swing voters, especially after Labour captured several Scottish National Party seats, totaling thirty-seven.

As part of the government’s comprehensive policy plan, the Treasury and Housing and Development Ministers have confirmed the reinstatement of a plan to build new housing, targeting the “grey belt”, with a goal of constructing one and a half million homes over the next five years.

The government faces numerous challenges. Securing financing and motivating investors and contractors to build is just the beginning. Detailed negotiations with environmental and societal groups are needed to determine the specifications of the “grey belt” and ensure that half of these new homes are affordable, priced at least 20% below the market rate.

Health and education

One of the government’s notable early actions was its swift communication with health and education sector bodies. Discussions were initiated with education stakeholders to increase the number of teachers and specialists in classrooms, provide resources, and improve working conditions to make the profession more attractive and prevent teachers from leaving for other professions or the private sector.

Health Minister Wes Streeting’s announcement about the collapse of the National Health Service was seen as a significant admission. However, concerns quickly arose about his plan to reallocate some hospital funds to family clinics to strengthen community medicine and provide direct health services to families. This strategy aims to reduce pressure on emergency services, shorten wait times, and improve service quality.

While there is confidence in the government’s commitment to reforming the NHS – a cornerstone achievement of a previous Labour government in 1945 – doubts persist about the funding mechanism’s effectiveness. Some hospitals already struggle with insufficient budgets, raising fears that diverting funds to general medicine clinics could further strain hospitals and reduce services without successfully revitalising the clinics.

Until he can convince hospital officials or find another widely acceptable mechanism, the Health Minister needs a win in the form of a deal with the junior doctors’ union.

Although Streeting made it clear that the 35% increase requested by the union was not feasible, the positive response from union representatives after their first meeting suggested that the possibility of reaching an agreement before another strike was very high. Ending the strikes, which have been ongoing for more than a year and a half, would mark a significant achievement for the minister and the government.

Overall, these swift actions have left positive impressions. However, continuing these efforts and aligning them with the budget, which the Treasury Minister is set to present next fall, depends on the government’s success in fostering cooperation with key stakeholders in the relevant sectors and regaining investor confidence.

Immigration and relations with the EU

Perhaps the most sensitive issue, both political and humanitarian, is that of migrants, which also presents significant funding challenges. Despite the enthusiasm for halting the deportation plan to Rwanda, dissatisfaction arose when Rwanda indicated it was neither interested nor ready to return the money paid by Rishi Sunak’s government.

While the current government plans to allocate about £75 million to combat smuggling gangs and enhance border security, the loss of the previously paid funds is substantial. The Starmer government will be compelled to engage in difficult negotiations with Rwanda, alongside effectively reducing the number of migrants arriving via small boats.

Consequently, Starmer is focused on drafting a new agreement with the European Union concerning the mechanism for accepting and returning migrants based on a barter system. This agreement would allow the government to return migrants who enter the country irregularly to the European countries from which they came. It would also enable immigrants wishing to come to Britain to apply for visas through British embassies in European countries, prioritising individuals with family members already in the UK.

The new Prime Minister approaches European relations with renewed vigour. While he acknowledges that reversing Brexit is off the table, his government intends to revitalise British-European relations. The leading role he envisions for Britain requires active engagement with European neighbours, akin to the push for stronger transatlantic relations.

The government aligned its actions with the timing of the NATO summit in the United States. Starmer attended promptly, seizing the opportunity for bilateral meetings between his team and European officials, about a week before the European Political Community summit was held in the birthplace of the late Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The discussions focused on coordinating efforts regarding Ukraine and irregular migration.

Foreign Policy: Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran

The opportunity for Britain to emerge from isolation is now within reach, and the Foreign Minister’s strong relationships with officials in various capitals will likely enhance the Starmer government’s international presence.

As anticipated, Secretary of State David Lammy emphasised the economic, security, and humanitarian support Ukraine needs to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity during his meeting with his American counterpart.

In addition to affirming clear and explicit support for Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary intends to “rebalance” Britain’s position on the conflict in Gaza. He aims to work towards a ceasefire, recover hostages, secure aid entry into Gaza, and ultimately stop the war. This stance aligns with the party’s general statement, reflecting the new government’s desire to collaborate with international partners to revive the peace process.

However, this stance falls short for some Labour Party members, representatives, and voters, particularly Muslim voters who punished the party for its previous or delayed positions on the Gaza conflict by voting against it or supporting competitors who won seats.

The government is unlikely to quickly recognize an independent Palestinian state, preferring to coordinate with international partners to ensure a negotiating path toward a two-state solution. It is unlikely that there will be a ban on arms sales to Israel without coordination with Washington or other European countries, though the government is said to be seeking legal advice on this matter.

Therefore, the government’s stance on the International Criminal Court is crucial in demonstrating its credibility and commitment to respecting international law, consistent with the position Starmer expressed before the elections.

Hopes are high for overturning the new opposition motion, which the Sunak government intended to present, to challenge the court’s authority to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Before his victory last May, Foreign Minister Lammy supported the independence of the court and its right to issue arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas officials on the grounds of committing war crimes. These hopes are reinforced by Starmer’s appointment of Richard Hermer as Attorney General, a specialist in human rights law, who had a clear stance in an open letter he wrote at the beginning of the war with a group of Jewish lawyers, reminding Israel of its international obligations.

The new government had until the twenty-sixth of this month to withdraw the opposition motion, distancing itself from expected American pressure to dissuade it from this step, which is exactly what happened. Dropping the challenge to the International Criminal Court confirms the government’s commitment to change, according to those advocating for Israel to be held accountable and an end to impunity. This is a matter of concern for the government and the Labour Party, which seeks to restore its relationship with voters who became disillusioned with the party because of the Gaza conflict.

According to the progressive realism approach adopted by the Foreign Minister, the government’s foreign policy will prioritise taking calculated steps and carefully evaluating issues. This approach applies not only to the Palestinian issue but also to other regional matters. Therefore, the Foreign Minister is expected to assess the situation in Iran after the election of President Masoud Pezeshkian and its impact on the Iranian nuclear program before deciding whether to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation – a move encouraged by Israel but likely to be postponed. From this perspective, the government will also monitor the situation in Syria and its implications for the Iran-Israel balance.

Lammy, who has previously visited North Africa, the Gulf, Turkey, and Palestine, recognizes the potential for collaboration with these countries to improve political, security, and economic conditions. This requires a shift in Western approaches to these regions, respecting their circumstances and avoiding past mistakes such as the interventions in Libya, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Lammy has pointed out that the U.S. condoning the use of chemical weapons in Syria not only reinforced President Bashar al-Assad’s regime but also emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin, who perceived a lack of Western resolve to uphold established norms.

If the Foreign Minister succeeds in implementing his vision, a significant part of the government’s foreign policy will focus on forging economic cooperation with many countries in the Global South. This approach entails adopting positions that do not antagonise economically powerful or emerging nations, which are crucial to Britain and the global economy.

It is challenging to envision Britain re-engaging with the world in a progressive manner without the government prioritising urgent responses to internal economic needs, ensuring consistency and stability.