Starmer to unveil 'milestones' on election pledges

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said a new phase for his government will begin this week, under what he calls a "plan for change" for Britain.

Writing for the Sun on Sunday, Sir Keir described the strategy as "the most ambitious yet honest delivery plan in a generation" as the government was "knuckling down" on delivering its election promises.

He said ministers would detail "measurable milestones" by which the public could track the progress of the government towards its commitments.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "Keir Starmer is having to relaunch... because Labour had no plan for government".

Sir Keir's plans for the next phase of his government will include five detailed "missions".

When it is fully unveiled on Thursday, it will be designed to highlight which measures will be prioritised both politically and financially.

"[The milestones] will also ensure the attention and resources of government are focused ­relentlessly on delivering real and meaningful change," Sir Keir wrote.

For example, there exists a wide-ranging government mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

But under the new plan, a specific target will be created to help improve early years education.

Ministers will aim to increase the proportion of four-year-olds and five-year-olds who are fully ready to start school - socially as well as educationally - from 60% to 75%.

Other policies, from housebuilding to hospital waiting lists, will become priorities, too, under the plans to be announced by the prime minister on Thursday.

But by implication, it seems some previous pledges may be destined for the political slow lane.

The five headline missions do not specifically cover migration, but McFadden said it would be "mentioned" in a document, to be published on Thursday

However, he said there would not be a "numerical target" for the level of net migration arguing that the "exact number you need will always ebb and flow depending on the needs of the economy".

The Liberal Democrats' Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney said the government's targets would be "meaningless unless they reversed the disastrous mistakes made so far".

She said ministers should "swallow their pride" and ditch changes to the winter fuel payment and inheritance tax for farmers.

On Friday, Sir Keir experienced his first ministerial resignation, when Transport Secretary Louise Haigh quit following revelations she had pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade ago.

Haigh admitted telling police in 2013 she had lost her work mobile phone in a mugging, but later found it had not been taken.

She was given a conditional discharge by magistrates, following the incident which happened before she became an MP.

In her resignation letter, Haigh said she was stepping down because she did not want to become a distraction.

As opposition leader Sir Keir frequently attacked the Conservatives over Covid rule-breaking, saying you "cannot be a lawmaker and a law breaker".

Asked if the prime minister was a hypocrite for appointing Haigh to his frontbench, McFadden said "no, he's not" adding that there was no rule preventing someone who had once broken the law from serving in Parliament.

He said he did not know the details of why Haigh stepped down adding: "I regret she felt she had to go."

Asked if any other cabinet ministers had past convictions he said: "Not that I am aware of but I haven't looked into all of the background."