%20Lifestyle%20LOGO__.jpeg)
The Shift in Power: What Kier Starmer’s Labour Government Has Achieved in The Last 3 Months Of 2025
- Linda Aitken-Smith
- Jan 10
- 16 min read
What has the Labour Government achieved
from 1st October to December 31st 2025
The Labour government reached several major legislative and fiscal milestones centred on its "Plan for Change" missions.
In the final quarter of 2025 (October–December)
Keir Starmer’s Labour government focused on delivering its first multi-year Spending Review (SR25), passing landmark employment legislation, and solidifying its "mission-led" approach to growth and public service reform.
Autumn Budget 2025:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, delivered a budget on November 26, 2025, focusing on economic stability, investment in public services, and changes to the tax system aimed at supporting working families and lowering the cost of living.
National Infrastructure and Planning:
The government continued to progress its planning reforms to accelerate housing construction and energy projects, including continued investment through the National Wealth Fund.
Public Service Investment:
The government maintained its focus on boosting NHS capacity, aiming for reduced waiting lists and increased appointments.
Energy and Environment:
The government continued the roll-out of Great British Energy projects, including rooftop solar on schools and hospitals, and continued to advance its Clean Energy Mission to lower bills and create jobs.
By the end of 2025, analysis indicated that while many legislative pledges were on track, the "Get Britain Building" target of 1.5 million homes was facing challenges. Additionally, while the Employment Rights Act was passed, most of its substantive.
Based on information available as of early January 2026, the UK Labour government continued its legislative and policy agenda in the final three months of 2025 (October–December), focusing on employment rights, economic policy, and infrastructure.
Major Legislative Achievements
Employment Rights Act 2025:
The landmark Employment Rights Billreceived Royal Assent on December 18, 2025, passing into law to strengthen worker protections.
Key immediate impacts included the removal of minimum service level rules for strikes and setting the stage for 2026 reforms, like making statutory sick pay a day-one right.
Public Rail Bill:
Passed on November 28, 2025, enabling the phased restoration of railways to public ownership.
Modern Industrial Strategy:
The Green Paper for "Invest 2035: the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy" was released in October 2025, focusing on high-growth sectors and green infrastructure.
Fiscal and Economic Milestones
Autumn Budget 2025 (November 26):
Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a budget focused on "stability, investment, and reform".
Key measures included:
Cost of Living:
One-year freezes on regulated rail fares and prescription charges, and an average £150 cut to energy bills from April 2026.
NHS Investment:
Funding to deliver 5.2 million more appointments since the start of the Parliament and the creation of 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres.
Child Poverty:
Removing the two-child limit in the child element of Universal Credit from April 2026.
Spending Review 2025 (SR25): Published alongside the Budget, it detailed plans to reduce departmental administration budgets by at least 11% in real terms by 2028-29 to rebalance spending toward frontline services.
Policy Milestones & Governance
Plan for Change Milestones:
In December 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out six specific milestones to track government progress, including cutting NHS waiting lists to ensure 92% of routine operations occur within 18 weeks by 2029.
Green Energy Superpower:
In late 2025, the government confirmed social housing providers would receive up to £1.29 billion for retrofitting under the Warm Homes Plan, although the full plan's release was pushed to January 2026.
Crime and Borders:
The new Border Security Command began operations with new counter-terrorism style powers to target smuggling gangs.
Covid Counter-Fraud:
Tom Hayhoe was appointed as the Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner in December 2025 to lead efforts in recovering lost pandemic funds.
Economic Policy & Autumn Budget 2025
The centrepiece of the period was the Autumn Budget delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on November 26, 2025.
Fiscal Stability:
The government met its "stability rule," showing borrowing falling in every year of the forecast. It introduced a High Value Council Tax Surcharge on homes worth over £2 million to fund public services.
Cost of Living Measures:
The Chancellor announced a one-year freeze on regulated rail fares and prescription charges. The two-child benefit limit was officially scheduled for removal in April 2026 to lift an estimated 450,000 children out of poverty.
Tax Reform:
National Insurance (NICs) relief on pension salary sacrifice schemes was capped at £2,000 from 2029. The government also confirmed the abolition of "non-dom" status and offshore trusts for inheritance tax avoidance.
Legislative Achievements
Employment Rights Act 2025:
This flagship bill received Royal Assent on December 18, 2025. It enshrines "Day 1" rights for paternity leave and sick pay, bans "exploitative" zero-hours contracts, and ends unscrupulous "fire and rehire" practices.
Rail Nationalisation:
The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act was fully enacted by late 2025, with several rail companies (including Greater Anglia) scheduled for transition to public control.
Football Governance Act:
Passed in late 2025, this law established the Independent Football Regulator to ensure the financial sustainability of English clubs and prevent "breakaway leagues"
Public Service & Infrastructure
NHS Reform:
The government launched a 10-Year Health Plan and confirmed the merger of NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce bureaucracy.
Spending Review (SR25):
Allocated £120 billion in additional capital investment for the Parliament, including funding for the
Lower Thames Crossing
and the Sizewell C nuclear project.
Border Security:
The new Border Security Command was fully operationalised with additional funding to tackle people-smuggling gangs.
Governance & Efficiency
Civil Service Reform:
The government announced a 16% real-terms reduction in department administration budgets by 2029-30 and a plan to relocate 12,000 civil service roles out of London by 2030.
Transformation Fund:
A £3.25 billion fund was established to drive the use of AI in public services and modernise HMRC’s digital systems.
New Bodies:
Established the Industrial Strategy Council and the National Wealth Fund as statutory bodies to drive green growth. Check out the Policy Paper at the end of the Blog when you have finished reading the rest of this Blog.
The Employment Rights Bill has become law
For Industrial Action, and further, more substantial changes to zero-hour contracts, "fire and rehire" bans, and statutory sick pay scheduled for 2026/2027.
The Employment Rights Bill has become law. It received 'Royal Assent' on 18 December 2025. This is when the King formally agreed to make the Bill into an Act of Parliament (Employment Rights Act 2025).
The Act will introduce additions and amendments to existing legislation, including the Employment Rights Act 1996.
The employment law changes included in the Act will take place over a period of 2 years. Most changes will happen in 2026 and 2027.
New laws bring the world of work into the 21st century
Over 15 million people across the UK are expected to benefit from the Employment Rights Act, and from new worker protections, including those on the lowest pay and in the most insecure jobs.
New rights confirmed , including day one paternity leave and parental leave, statutory sick pay, protections for pregnant workers, increased protection from unfair dismissal, an end to exploitative zero hours contracts, and a new right to bereavement leave.
The Labour Government will continue to work with business and workers on how reforms are implemented, with changes introduced gradually over a two-year period.
Benefit from new worker protections
The following changes will happen in February 2026, which is 2 months after the Bill became law.
Increased dismissal protection for industrial action
Dismissal for taking part in industrial action will become 'automatically unfair'. This will remove the current 12-week limit for claiming unfair dismissal. This will change in February 2026.
Trade union activity
These changes will happen in February 2026:
The time needed to give notice of industrial action will reduce to 10 days, instead of 14 days
Unions will need a simple majority to vote for industrial action
Picket supervisors will no longer be required
Industrial action mandates will last for 12 months, instead of 6 months
Industrial action and ballot notices will be simplified
Political fund rules will change
April 2026 changes
More employment law changes will happen in April 2026.
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave
These things will change in April 2026:
Paternity leave will become a 'day one right', allowing someone to give notice of leave from the first day of employment – currently, someone must have worked for their employer for 26 weeks
Ordinary parental leave will also become a day one right – currently, someone must have worked for their employer for 1 year to be eligible
The restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed.
Sick pay
These changes will happen in April 2026:
Statutory sick pay (SSP) will be paid from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day
The lower earnings limit will be removed – currently, workers must earn a minimum amount to be eligible for statutory sick pay
Collective redundancy protective award
The maximum 'protective award' for failure to consult in collective redundancy will double from 90 days' pay to 180 days' pay. This will change in April 2026.
Whistleblowing protections for sexual harassment
Sexual harassment will become a 'qualifying disclosure' under whistleblowing law. This will mean protection from detriment and unfair dismissal for whistleblowers making a sexual harassment disclosure. This will change in April 2026.
Gender pay gap and menopause action plans
Employers will need to create action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps. These will be voluntary from April 2026. They will become mandatory sometime in 2027.
More trade union changes
These changes will happen in April 2026:
simplifying how a trade union can gain recognition in a workplace
allowing trade union members to vote electronically
Fair Work Agency
The Fair Work Agency will be established in April 2026, to:
bring together existing enforcement bodies
take on the enforcement of other employment rights, such as holiday pay and statutory sick pay.
October 2026 changes
Important: In most cases, how these changes will be implemented is subject to government consultations.
Dismissal and rehire
Dismissing someone, then rehiring them on worse terms and conditions, will become an automatically unfair dismissal in most cases. This is sometimes known as 'fire and rehire'. This will change in October 2026.
Harassment
These changes will happen in October 2026:
Employers will be liable for harassment from third parties, for example, customers or clients, unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it from happening – this will apply to all types of harassment
Employers will need to take 'all reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment – current law says 'reasonable steps'
A change to the law around non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is also expected. This will void clauses that would prevent workers from alleging or disclosing work-related harassment or discrimination. The date of this change is not known yet.
Tipping
The tipping law will change in October 2026. Employers will need to:
Consult with workers or their representatives before creating a tipping policy
Update their tipping policy every 3 years
Employment tribunal time limits
Time limits for making a claim to an employment tribunal will increase to 6 months for all claims. The current time limit for most claims is 3 months. This will change in October 2026.
More changes to trade union rules
These trade union changes will happen in October 2026:
a new duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union
updated rules on a trade union's right of access to the workplace
a new right to reasonable accommodation and facilities for trade union representatives carrying out their duties
a new right to time off for union equality representatives to carry out their duties
Increased protection against detriment for industrial action
Workers taking part in industrial action will be protected against detriment, in addition to unfair dismissal. 'Detriment' is when someone is treated less favourably by their employer. This will change in October 2026.
Public sector outsourcing 'two-tier code'
There will be new measures for public sector outsourcing. This is to avoid having different terms and conditions for ex-public sector employees and private sector employees. This will change in October 2026.
New Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
There will be a new negotiating body for adult social care. This will start in October 2026.
One change will happen in December 2026. It's specific to the seafarer industry. Mandatory Seafarer's Charter
There will be a new mandatory charter for seafarers, with higher standards around health and safety, pay, job security and rest breaks. This will happen in December 2026.
Changes In 2027
The government has not announced when in 2027 most of these changes will happen.
Important: In most cases, how these changes will be implemented is subject to government consultations.
Unfair dismissal
Protection from unfair dismissal will become a right after 6 months of being in a job. Currently, someone must have worked for their employer for 2 years before claiming unfair dismissal. This will happen in January 2027.
Protection from unfair dismissal was previously expected to become a right from the first day of employment. The government changed this before the Bill became law.
Increased pregnancy and maternity rights
The Act will strengthen protections against dismissal for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave. This will happen in 2027.
Bereavement leave
There will be a new right to statutory bereavement leave. It's not known yet whether this will be paid or unpaid leave. This will happen in 2027.
Zero-hours contracts
Workers on zero-hours contracts will get the right to guaranteed working hours, if they want them. This will happen in 2027.
Compensation for cancelled shifts
Workers will have the right to be paid if a shift is cancelled, moved to another date, or cut short by an employer. This will happen in 2027.
Flexible working
There will be an amendment to flexible working law in 2027. If an employer rejects a flexible working request because of a genuine business reason, they will have to:
state the reasons
explain why they believe their refusal is reasonable
Doing this is already good practice. But it will become a legal requirement.
Further harassment change
The law will specify what 'reasonable steps' means when preventing sexual harassment, following earlier changes in October 2026. This change will happen in 2027.
Mandatory gender pay gap and menopause action plans
Action plans around menopause and gender pay gaps will become mandatory, following their voluntary introduction in April 2026. This change will happen in 2027.
Collective redundancy
These collective redundancy changes will happen in 2027:
employers will need to consider the total number of redundancies across their whole organisation, not just individual workplaces – currently, collective redundancy rules only apply to individual workplaces
increased collective redundancy protection for workers on ships that regularly operate from British ports but are registered outside Great Britain
2027 trade union changes
These trade union changes will happen in 2027:
extending laws that protect trade union members from discrimination and being 'blacklisted'
a new industrial relations framework, to help employers and trade unions work together
Regulation of umbrella companies
The definition of agencies will be expanded to include 'umbrella companies'. This will allow enforcement by the relevant bodies. This change will happen in 2027.
Last reviewed
22 December 2025
Labour under Kier Starmer....Is Gambling
With Britain's Future!
Keir Starmer is the UK's sitting Prime Minister, having led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the general election held on July 4, 2024. His government has been implementing its legislative and economic agenda since taking office.
Key Government Actions and Status (as of January 2026)
Migration Policy: The government has made tackling both legal and illegal migration a priority. Starmer has restricted visa conditions, closed some legal migration routes, and launched a new Border Security Command. However, there is ongoing internal party division and external criticism, with some sources claiming the policies are "all talk" and the government is failing to crack down effectively on illegal migration.
Economic Plans: The government's economic agenda has focused on tackling the cost of living, which Starmer has called the "single most important and biggest issue" facing voters. Early actions included energy bills relief, a rail fare freeze, and an increase in the National Living Wage.
Legislative Wins and Reforms: Key policies implemented or announced since taking office in July 2024 include:
Ending certain Winter Fuel Payments.
Implementing an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding.
Announcing changes to the planning system and workers' and renters' rights.
Investing in a new nuclear power station.
Launching a National Violent Disorder Programme following riots in 2024.
Political Standing: While the Labour government won a commanding 174-seat majority in the 2024 election, by early 2026, Starmer's approval ratings have reportedly reached lows for a prime minister and the party has faced a dip in the polls. This has led to speculation about his leadership, but he has insisted he will remain in power.
The next general election is legally required to be held no later than August 2029.
Kier Starmer's Labour Government is making waves! From legislative wins to economic plans, no plans to stop the Unsustainable Illegal Migration!
##Migrant totals As of the 31st of December from the 1st of January 2018, there has been 192,610 Migrants in 4,961 Boats come across from France.
Since the Labour Government came into power on the 4th July 2024, there have been 64,714 Migrants in 1,095 Boats
And under the Conservative Government from 01.01.2018 to 3rd July 2024 inclusive there has been 151,138 Migrants in 3,866 Boats.
(The United Kingdom was governed by the
Conservative Party from January 1, 2018, until July 4, 2024, when they lost the general election to the Labour Party).
Labour is Gambling with Britain's Future.
******************************************************************************
Update Added: After I first published this Blog , I will check the information I have added below out this week But will the British Public believe the information below after reading the Migrant totals see above at##
As of January 2026:
Keir Starmer is the UK's sitting Prime Minister, having led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the general election held on July 4, 2024. His government has been implementing its legislative and economic agenda since taking office.
Key Government Actions and Status (as of January 2026)
Migration Policy: The government has made tackling both legal and illegal migration a priority. Starmer has restricted visa conditions, closed some legal migration routes, and launched a new Border Security Command. However, there is ongoing internal party division and external criticism, with some sources claiming the policies are "all talk" and the government is failing to crack down effectively on illegal migration.
Economic Plans: The government's economic agenda has focused on tackling the cost of living, which Starmer has called the "single most important and biggest issue" facing voters. Early actions included energy bills relief, a rail fare freeze, and an increase in the National Living Wage.
Legislative Wins and Reforms: Key policies implemented or announced since taking office in July 2024 include:
Ending certain Winter Fuel Payments.
Implementing an early-release scheme for thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding.
Announcing changes to the planning system and workers' and renters' rights.
Investing in a new nuclear power station.
Launching a National Violent Disorder Programme following riots in 2024.
Political Standing: While the Labour government won a commanding 174-seat majority in the 2024 election, by early 2026, Starmer's approval ratings have reportedly reached lows for a prime minister, and the party has faced a dip in the polls. This has led to speculation about his leadership, but he has insisted he will remain in power.
The next general election is legally required to be held no later than August 2029.
Kier Starmer's Labour Government is making waves! From legislative wins to economic plans, no plans to stop the Unsustainable Illegal Migration! Labour is Gambling with Britain's Future.
New Plans For Change?
I have just been informed, after I published this Blog about the following information, see below. So I have added the following information. But will the following be enough for the British Legal Citizens of the UK?
Will the Labour Government be removing all the Migrants who came across from France in Boats illegally? (As they didn't have permission to come to the UK and they are economic Migrants....
As we have an agreement with the French Government to stop them from coming to the UK? And they have not stopped the Migrants that have come across so far.
The French Government should pay 2/3 of the money that the UK Government paid them to stop the Illegal Migrants, as it is costing Britain
The Cost of housing 1 Migrant
In 2026, the cost to house and feed an asylum seeker in the UK varies significantly depending on the type of accommodation provided, but generally ranges from approximately
£7,500 per year in shared housing to around £41,000 per person annually when housed in hotels.
I was told last year that the French lied to the British Government when the Conservatives were in Government, that they would stop the boats from launching. As I was told, they had a law that stopped them from doing that, as they couldn't stop them. Which they knew about when they took the money from the UK Government and promised the Conservative Government to stop Migrants from getting to the UK.
Information I was told after I published
this blog for the first time.
In January 2026, Keir Starmer’s Labour government is implementing a major overhaul of the UK’s immigration and asylum systems under its "Plan for Change." Contrary to the suggestion of no plans, the government has introduced several significant measures to address both illegal and legal migration.
New Legislative and Enforcement Actions
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025:
Passed in late 2024 and coming into force in January 2026, this Act grants law enforcement "counter-terror-style" powers to dismantle smuggling gangs.
Criminalization of Crossings:
As of January 5, 2026, new offences have come into force that criminalize specific actions related to unauthorized Channel crossings, such as checking weather or tide times for the purpose of a crossing.
Increased Raids and Removals:
The government has reported a 63% increase in arrests related to illegal working and has processed approximately 50,000 returns of people with no right to be in the UK as of late 2025.
Major Asylum Policy Shifts
End of Permanent Asylum: Under plans detailed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, refugees will no longer receive immediate permanent status. Instead, they will be granted temporary protection that is reviewed every 30 months.
20-Year Settlement Path: For those arriving illegally, the path to permanent settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) is being extended from 5 years to 20 years.
"One In, One Out" Pilot: A landmark deal with France allows the UK to return some small boat arrivals in exchange for taking an equal number of documented refugees.
Changes to Legal Migration in 2026
Higher English Standards:
From January 8, 2026, first-time applicants for Skilled Worker, Scale-up, and High Potential Individual visas must demonstrate B2-level English (A-level equivalent), up from the previous B1 requirement.
Earned Settlement Model:
Planned for April 2026, the standard qualifying period for settlement for most work routes will increase from 5 to 10 years, requiring migrants to "earn" their stay through economic and community contributions.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA):
Starting February 25, 2026, the UK will strictly enforce a "no permission, no travel" policy, requiring visitors from 85 visa-free countries to obtain a digital ETA before boarding.
Current Challenges
Despite these measures, the government faces significant criticism.
The Home Office reported that 41,472 people reached the UK via small boat in 2025, the highest number since 2022, leading to claims from political opponents that current deterrents remain ineffective.
Additionally, nearly 20 Labour MPs have criticised the new asylum rules as "morally wrong".
*********************************************
Please check out the Information below by clicking on the links below each one.
Policy paper
Budget 2025 (HTML)
Updated 28 November 2025
Return to an order of the House of Commons dated 26 November 2025
Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 26 November 2025
HC number 1492
© Crown Copyright 2025
ISBN 978-1-5286-6090-7
A List of the Contents, are included below. Go to the Link below to check out the Information contained.
Contents
2. Economic and fiscal outlook
7. Delivering in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
9. Public sector receipts and spending
Check out the Information on the Policy Paper (Budget 2025 HTML)
Click on the link below, (leave this blog open and open a New Tab) and paste the link into Google search. When you have finished reading all the information on the Policy Paper,
come back to this blog, "The Shift in Power: What Kier Starmer’s Labour Government Has Achieved in The Last 3 Months Of 2025"
Let me know in the comments section what you thought of the Policy Paper from Labour, what you agree/disagree with and why.
Employment Rights
Comments