The dramatic resignation of Keir Starmer as Prime Minister has brought an abrupt end to his two-year tenure at Number 10. The Labour leader's decision to step down follows a period marked by both notable policy successes and high-profile setbacks, which have left the party's performance hanging in the balance.
One area where Labour has made significant strides is in reducing net migration. Official figures show that the decline in health and care visas and humanitarian schemes has contributed to a fall in immigration numbers. However, this achievement has done little to alleviate concerns among voters, with a staggering 86% of people expressing a 'great' or 'fair amount' of tension between immigrants and those born in the UK.
On the NHS front, Labour's efforts have yielded positive results, with waiting times decreasing by 21% for patients waiting over 18 weeks in April 2026 compared to the same month in 2024. Nevertheless, other pressing issues within health and social care persist, including long-standing concerns about social care funding and a mixed picture on General Practitioner (GP) recruitment.
In the realm of crime and justice, Labour's policy has yielded mixed results. Despite overseeing two large prisoner releases, the prison system remains under strain, and the court backlog caused by the pandemic continues to be a pressing concern.
The Opposition has seized upon the government's failure to deliver on key promises, including the 'one in, one out' agreement with France to return people arriving in small boats. However, it is still too early to gauge the full impact of many Labour policies, with some projections suggesting negative net migration may be on the horizon in 2027 – a prospect that could have far-reaching consequences for the economy.