Keir Starmer is to launch his five “national missions” which will form the building blocks of Labour’s next manifesto as the party starts to set out how it would transform the country if it wins the election.
In a major speech in Manchester on Thursday, the Labour leader is expected to say the country needs a “serious plan” to provide more stability after years of Tory government “blowing with the wind” rather than fixing deep-rooted problems.
The “missions” cover five broad themes: the economy, the NHS, crime, the climate crisis and education. They will be long-term objectives, rather than consumer pledges, but will be “measurable” so voters can check against performance.
However, Starmer is expected to set out some policy detail on how Labour would grow the UK’s stalled economy, a focus in recent months for the Labour leader and his shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, with the party judged on whether regions of the UK increase in prosperity and households keep more of their own money.
The party’s detailed plans for tackling crime are expected to come before May’s local elections while pledges in the other areas will follow in the early summer before the completion of the policy review.
Starmer has been under pressure to flesh out what Labour would do in power since becoming leader in April 2020 but has rigidly stuck to a three-point plan: transforming the party internally including by getting to grips with antisemitism, taking the fight to the Tories and only now setting out long-term objectives.
Labour is about 20 points ahead in the polls and Starmer is increasingly looking beyond the election to how he would deliver key priorities in the early days of government.
“It means providing a clear set of priorities,” he will say, according to advance extracts of his speech. “A relentless focus on the things that matter most. An answer to the widespread call for someone that can ‘fix the fundamentals’.
“A long-term plan to unlock Britain’s pride and purpose. Without a serious plan, there will be no light at the end of a very long tunnel for the British people.”
Starmer is expected to contrast his programme – which Labour said he drew up himself with the support of shadow cabinet ministers and senior aides – with the “sticking-plaster politics” of Rishi Sunak’s five priorities set out in his new year address.
However, the Labour leader could further rile the left of his party by stressing that he is ready to draw on investment and expertise from both the public and private sectors to “get the job done”.
He will add that he wants a different approach to government – neither state control nor pure free markets – but a genuine “sleeves rolled-up” partnership working in the national interest.
Starmer will tell his audience that missions are not just another word for priorities or promises – they signal what Labour would do differently. And each will be “laser-targeted” at addressing the root causes of a series of complex problems.
“The more I delve into these challenges, the more I can see things that are simply not working,” he will say. “Things that could be sped up, joined up, given direction, made to work better. This is at the core of my politics. Government can prevent problems, as well as fix them. Can shape markets rather than serving them.”
