UK's Keir Starmer offers 'plan for change' in reset bid after 150 days

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil Thursday a "plan for change" for Britain as he attempts a de facto relaunch of his government following a bumpy first five months in power.

The Labour leader is to lay out six "ambitious milestones" on which voters can judge his administration, seeking to move on from several unpopular decisions that have overshadowed his young premiership.

"Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy or will happen anyway," Starmer, who entered office in July, is set to say in a speech near London at 11 am GMT. "It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people."


Starmer's first weeks were dominated by controversies over scrapping winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners, keeping a child benefit restriction, and for accepting gifts from a wealthy donor.

They were also overshadowed by the departure of his chief of staff Sue Gray following intense media scrutiny over her role and reports of factional in-fighting inside Number 10.

His finance minister's debut budget on October 30 failed to provide a more positive narrative after coverage focused on farmers and business owners angry at increases in inheritance tax and employer payroll contributions.