UK Prime Minister Starmer promises 'things will get better' in New Year message

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows “positive change” in 2026, acknowledging tough times for many Britons while pledging to tackle long-standing national challenges and counter political division.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered his New Year message on Wednesday (December 31), promising that 2026 would bring “positive change,” as he acknowledged that life had been “harder than it should be” for many Britons.

In a New Year message, Starmer admitted frustration over the slow pace of progress, saying the challenges facing Britain had been “decades in the making” and could not be solved overnight.

But the prime minister said that his government's course will "defeat the decline and division offered by others."

Starmer's Labour Party have suffered plummeting poll ratings in their first full year in office following a landslide election victory in July 2024, with the right wing, anti-EU Reform UK, led by Brexit architect Nigel Farage, enjoying a consistent double-digit lead in opinion polls.

-Vitalii Yalahuzian/Reuters

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered his New Year message on Wednesday (December 31), promising that 2026 would bring “positive change,” as he acknowledged that life had been “harder than it should be” for many Britons.

In a New Year message, Starmer admitted frustration over the slow pace of progress, saying the challenges facing Britain had been “decades in the making” and could not be solved overnight.

But the prime minister said that his government's course will "defeat the decline and division offered by others."

Starmer's Labour Party have suffered plummeting poll ratings in their first full year in office following a landslide election victory in July 2024, with the right wing, anti-EU Reform UK, led by Brexit architect Nigel Farage, enjoying a consistent double-digit lead in opinion polls.

-Vitalii Yalahuzian/Reuters