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Sir Keir Starmer stepped down as prime minister on Monday after losing the support of his MPs and critical cabinet figures. He made the announcement outside Downing Street, marking the end of his leadership which began in July 2024. Since taking office, his government’s record has been scrutinized across various areas including immigration, economic growth, healthcare, energy, and welfare spending.
Starmer’s popularity declined dramatically during his tenure. In August 2024, shortly after becoming prime minister, a YouGov poll showed that 36% approved of his performance while 43% disapproved, resulting in a net rating of minus 7. By June 2026, public opinion had shifted sharply with 74% expressing disapproval and only 18% approval, dropping his net popularity to minus 56. Ipsos polling further indicated that his personal approval ratings were among the lowest compared to recent prime ministers such as Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May.
Despite Starmer’s unpopularity, the UK economy experienced some relative success. Labour’s manifesto had promised the highest sustained growth in the G7 countries, which include the US, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, and Canada. Data from the OECD reveals that from the second quarter of 2024 through to the first quarter of 2026, the UK economy expanded by 2.3%, outpacing every G7 country except the US, which achieved 3.7%. The UK also recorded the fastest quarterly growth among these nations in early 2026 at 0.6%. However, this positive trend is not expected to continue, with the IMF forecasting UK GDP growth to slow to 0.8% for 2026 due in part to the energy crisis stemming from the conflict between the US and Iran. Growth is also expected to lag behind the US and Canada in 2027.
On immigration, Starmer vowed to dismantle the gangs facilitating small boat crossings across the Channel, but these continued during his time in office. Nevertheless, a slowdown in arrivals has been observed. Official figures for 2025 show net migration fell to 171,000, a 48% decrease from the previous year and a significant reduction from the peak of 944,000 in 2023 under Conservative rule. In healthcare, the waiting list for NHS treatment in England has decreased from 7.62 million in June 2024 to 7.22 million in April 2026, aligning with Starmer’s pledge to ensure that 92% of patients would be seen within 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament. However, energy costs have risen, with Ofgem’s price cap for summer 2026 set at an annual average of £1,862 for a typical household, reflecting global pressures such as the Iran war.
Welfare spending has increased mainly due to growing health and disability payments for working-age adults, particularly more awards of Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Forecasts project that this expenditure will rise from £58.2 billion in 2024-25 to £78.1 billion by 2029-30. The government’s assessment suggests that as a result, there could be 450,000 fewer children living in relative poverty after housing costs by the end of the Parliament than would otherwise be the case
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