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Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, has stated in an interview with the BBC that in order to bring about important reforms, his new government is going to have to be willing to make some unpopular decisions. Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg in his first significant interview since taking office, Starmer explained that doing difficult things now was the only way to change the country. Defending his decision to remove winter fuel payments from most pensioners, the prime minister claimed that previous governments had “run away from difficult decisions” and that Labour could only keep its promises if he acted early in his term.
No. 10 Downing Street has already come under potential attack from members of parliament due to Starmer’s move to axe winter fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners. Although unpopular, the decision was necessary, in Starmer’s view, because previous governments had avoided difficult decisions such as the cost of winter fuel payments, arguing that without taking such measures, the country would not change. The prime minister acknowledged that these were tough choices and that it was only by making unpopular decisions now that Labour could deliver the change it promised.
In addition to this, Starmer spoke about the state of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, which he said had been broken by successive Conservative-led governments. In a review to be published on Thursday, an eminent surgeon, Lord Darzi, is expected to reveal that too many children “are being let down” by the health service, adding that the review found changes to the NHS “hopelessly misconceived.” Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins responded to Starmer’s comments, claiming that after 14 years in opposition, “Labour’s instinct is to politicise children’s health, rather than provide solutions and reform our NHS.”
Starmer has already seen his personal ratings in a slump since taking office. His decision to axe winter fuel payments, repeated warnings about the economy, and pressure on government spending ahead of the budget at the end of October have all contributed to this. Despite this, the prime minister remains convinced that if he does the hard things now, he can bring about the change the country needs. A full interview with Starmer, in which he will respond to the Grenfell tragedy, the summer riots, and his upcoming visit to the White House, will air at 09:00 BST on Sunday
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