As Labour leader Keir Starmer prepares to unveil a new “plan for change” featuring “measurable milestones”, his party is facing mounting pressure over two key policy areas – housing and healthcare. While the opposition aims to present “the most ambitious yet honest programme for government in a generation”, concerns are being raised about the feasibility and focus of Labour’s targets.
Housing Targets Deemed “Unrealistic” by Councils
Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes in England over the next five years, a target reaffirmed just last month by the housing minister, is facing skepticism from local authorities tasked with delivering on this promise. A BBC investigation has revealed that many councils, including Labour-run ones, believe the new housing targets set by deputy PM and housing secretary Angela Rayner are simply unrealistic.
According to a consultation carried out by Rayner’s department earlier this year, the vast majority of councils expressed serious doubts about the government’s ability to meet its housebuilding goals. Labour-run Broxtowe council in Nottinghamshire described the proposed changes as “very challenging, if not impossible to achieve”, while South Tyneside, another Labour council, labeled the plans “wholly unrealistic”.
The area would be left “absolutely swamped with growth that the infrastructure just can not support”.
Central Bedfordshire council
The BBC’s findings suggest Labour could be on a collision course with local authorities over one of its flagship policies. With Rayner due to face questions in the Commons later today, pressure is mounting on the party to clarify how it intends to overcome council opposition to its housebuilding agenda.
NHS Bosses Warn of “Casualties” in Waiting List Plan
Labour’s challenges don’t stop at housing. The Times reports that health bosses have privately expressed concerns about the party’s focus on cutting NHS waiting lists, warning that prioritizing elective surgeries above all else could have severe knock-on effects for other critical areas of the health service.
Under Labour’s plans, one of the new “measurable milestones” is expected to be getting at least 92% of patients their operations within 18 weeks – a target the NHS has consistently missed for years. While health leaders acknowledge the political necessity of tackling waiting lists, they caution that “putting all the money into electives” risks sidelining urgent priorities like A&E, mental health, and community care.
If the priority is putting all the money into electives, what we will see is warzone A&E departments and all sorts of other things being sidelined. It will have a number of casualties, including mental health, community care and waits in A&E.
NHS source speaking to The Times
As Starmer finalizes his “plan for change”, questions are being asked about whether Labour’s single-minded pursuit of waiting list targets could undermine the very foundations of the health service it seeks to rebuild. With the NHS already at breaking point after years of underinvestment and pandemic pressures, many fear a myopic focus on elective procedures is a recipe for disaster.
Can Labour’s “Reset” Weather the Storm?
As the opposition gears up for a pre-election relaunch, it’s clear that translating ambitious targets into actionable policies is proving to be a major headache. From “impossible” housebuilding goals to waiting list priorities that could “swamp” the NHS, Labour’s flagship pledges are coming under fire from the very people tasked with delivering them.
For Starmer, who has staked his leadership on being “ambitious yet honest”, the challenge is to convince a skeptical electorate that Labour has a credible plan to fix the country’s deep-rooted problems. But with councils and health bosses sounding the alarm over the party’s key policies, that task is looking increasingly daunting.
As the countdown to the next general election begins, all eyes will be on whether Labour’s “plan for change” can weather the storm of criticism and chart a path back to power. With the Conservatives in disarray and the country crying out for fresh leadership, the stakes could not be higher. For Starmer and his team, the hard work starts now.
The BBC’s findings suggest Labour could be on a collision course with local authorities over one of its flagship policies. With Rayner due to face questions in the Commons later today, pressure is mounting on the party to clarify how it intends to overcome council opposition to its housebuilding agenda.
NHS Bosses Warn of “Casualties” in Waiting List Plan
Labour’s challenges don’t stop at housing. The Times reports that health bosses have privately expressed concerns about the party’s focus on cutting NHS waiting lists, warning that prioritizing elective surgeries above all else could have severe knock-on effects for other critical areas of the health service.
Under Labour’s plans, one of the new “measurable milestones” is expected to be getting at least 92% of patients their operations within 18 weeks – a target the NHS has consistently missed for years. While health leaders acknowledge the political necessity of tackling waiting lists, they caution that “putting all the money into electives” risks sidelining urgent priorities like A&E, mental health, and community care.
If the priority is putting all the money into electives, what we will see is warzone A&E departments and all sorts of other things being sidelined. It will have a number of casualties, including mental health, community care and waits in A&E.
NHS source speaking to The Times
As Starmer finalizes his “plan for change”, questions are being asked about whether Labour’s single-minded pursuit of waiting list targets could undermine the very foundations of the health service it seeks to rebuild. With the NHS already at breaking point after years of underinvestment and pandemic pressures, many fear a myopic focus on elective procedures is a recipe for disaster.
Can Labour’s “Reset” Weather the Storm?
As the opposition gears up for a pre-election relaunch, it’s clear that translating ambitious targets into actionable policies is proving to be a major headache. From “impossible” housebuilding goals to waiting list priorities that could “swamp” the NHS, Labour’s flagship pledges are coming under fire from the very people tasked with delivering them.
For Starmer, who has staked his leadership on being “ambitious yet honest”, the challenge is to convince a skeptical electorate that Labour has a credible plan to fix the country’s deep-rooted problems. But with councils and health bosses sounding the alarm over the party’s key policies, that task is looking increasingly daunting.
As the countdown to the next general election begins, all eyes will be on whether Labour’s “plan for change” can weather the storm of criticism and chart a path back to power. With the Conservatives in disarray and the country crying out for fresh leadership, the stakes could not be higher. For Starmer and his team, the hard work starts now.
