PM will 'defeat decline and division' by 'staying the course' in new year

SIR Keir Starmer has insisted the Government will “defeat the decline and division offered by others” by “staying the course” with its efforts to improve public services and the cost of living.

- ISABEL INFANTES

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has insisted the Government will "defeat the decline and division offered by others" by "staying the course" with its efforts to improve public services and the cost of living

(ISABEL INFANTES)

In a new year message, the Prime Minister acknowledged life is still “harder than it should be” for many Britons but promised more will begin to feel “a sense of hope” in the coming months.

Sir Keir said “things have been tough in Britain for a while” but that “positive change” was on the horizon, including through cuts to energy bills and a freeze on rail fares and prescription charges.

It comes at the end of a turbulent year for the Government with sluggish economic growth and leadership rumblings amid dismal poll ratings before the local elections in May.

The Prime Minister warned that “renewal is not an overnight job” and said “the challenges we face were decades in the making”.

He said: “Things have been tough in Britain for a while. For many, life is still harder than it should be.

“You long for a bit more money in your pockets, a meal out, a holiday. The chance to make a special family moment extra special.