A Breath of Fresh Air: Labour’s First Week in Government

On Thursday 4th July, after weeks of being wooed by political parties, the British electorate went to the polls to give their verdict on the past five years, and the message was clear - they wanted change. But, as the age-old cliché goes, the hard work starts now, and after over a decade of chaos, Keir Starmer and the Labour Party have a lot to be getting on with. Whilst one swallow does not make a summer, it looks like the political sunshine is tentatively starting to creep through, and with Sterling strengthening - I’m not the only one thinking this.

I think most people would agree with me in saying that the Labour Party campaign, whilst successful, was unique in that the usual flashy election-time commitments were absent. And, owing to the lack of fiscal headroom, that was a sensible platform to run the campaign on. However, one thing they did promise was to hit the ground running - and it was incredibly refreshing to see Keir Starmer do just that when announcing his new Cabinet the day after the election.

You can gain a lot of insight into Starmer’s approach to government just from his Cabinet appointments. It wasn’t about discarding everything from the past, nor was it blindly embracing new ideas; it was about appointing the right blend of experience and fresh perspectives so that the new government could roll up its sleeves and deliver from day one.

When I met Keir on the election trail, it was clear he wanted to understand the challenges businesses and communities face, and his cabinet reflects this focus. For the first time in a long time, we have a cabinet that seems keen to listen to and engage with communities.

As a businessman, I’ve always believed that one of the fundamental roles of government is to create conditions for businesses to thrive, and this renewed engagement with business is a promising step, especially since, over the past few years, it has felt like the government was intent on doing the opposite, particularly for High Street retailers like myself.?

When it comes to the High Street, I've been shining the spotlight on business rates - an archaic tax from the 1500s which has been decimating physical retailers - since time began, on deaf ears for the most part. So, it’s incredibly uplifting to hear a government say that they are here to solve problems and openly acknowledge that business rates are part of the problem facing the High Street.?

In a similar vein, as someone who is deeply passionate about supporting small businesses and understands that they are the lifeblood of the economy, it’s refreshing to see the new Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, commit to engaging them and hard-wiring them into his business strategy.

But, with all that said - it’s only been a week. Whilst we are starting to see green shoots appearing in the economy, there is still bucket-loads of work to be done. The UK economy has been growing at a slower rate than the OECD average since 2010, and one of the most fundamental challenges the government faces is kicking our ailing economy into gear with treasury coffers depleted to record lows.

The past week has felt like a reset, dare I say it, a much-needed breath of fresh air. The government has a lot of tough decisions ahead of them if they are to go about getting the ship back on course, but from what I’ve seen and from listening to Keir Starmer’s mantra of ‘country before Party’ this new government might, just might, be able to deliver the change we’ve so desperately been crying out for!