The plan:
In the interests of the British people.
It is obvious to anyone listening to the news that the world is particularly volatile right now. I know it’s worrying to see this all play out on your TV screen and social media feeds – seeing infrastructure blown up and the rhetoric that goes with it.
Global troubles test our strength and security abroad – but they also challenge our values and impact people here at home. As Prime Minister, my role is to defend British interests abroad and stand up for you at home.
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Defending British interests abroad and standing up for you at home
I’ve been clear since the beginning: this is not our war. We are not getting dragged into it, whatever pressure comes my way. I made that decision because it’s the right one for the national interest.
I know that for many Brits, one of the biggest concerns about the conflict in the Middle East is the impact it might here at home - on prices and on bills.
It is the job of the government to meet these moments – not just with action – but also by showing clarity about our direction.
For too many families, things are still tough. And so tackling the cost of living remains my number one priority.
Immediate help with the cost of living
Our economy is better placed to meet this challenge than it was under the Tories – because Labour broke with austerity and years of inactive government. We are building a resilient economy and strong communities to better protect people from global economic shocks and international conflict. Long term resilience alongside immediate relief.
For example, the choices we made during the Budget mean that from today, the energy price cap is lowered by £117 for everyone for the next three months. And that is locked in, regardless of global events.
We have intervened to protect the most vulnerable households reliant on heating oil. And when it comes to fuel, we have given the CMA the necessary powers to crack down on those who attempt to exploit this crisis for excessive profits.
Because of the work we have done to fix the damage the Tories caused to the economy, we can help with those daily costs – like capping bus fares at £3, freezing prescription charges for the second year in a row and freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years.
And from today, the National Living Wage rises to £12.71, and the National Minimum Wage rises to £10.85. Because I believe that paying people fairly for their work is the right thing to do. Our Employment Rights Act is the biggest single upgrade to working rights in a generation. It includes day one rights for parental leave – a right that is coming in next Monday. We are banning exploitative zero-hour contracts that hold so many back, and we are banning companies’ ability to fire and rehire. These new laws will benefit fifteen million working people.
Best start in life
But there isn’t just an immediate cost of living challenge, there is a long-term opportunity crisis too. I want to build a Britain where every single child gets equal opportunity to succeed.
It’s something I think about when I look back at my own upbringing. I was the first in my family to go to university. There, I was given more opportunities to get on in life.
That wasn’t the case for my brother.
He had severe learning difficulties. My dad always made sure to tell me that my brother achieved just as much as me, but the reality is, my brother grew up in a system that wasn’t designed to help struggling kids and their families. That’s why I’m so determined to change things for future generations.
One of the decisions I’m most proud of is scrapping the unfair two-child limit. Coming in on 6th April, this will lift 450,000 children out of poverty. Not only does this open more opportunities children across the country, but it also supports parents with the costs of raising kids – food, housing and essentials.
And we’ve taken steps towards a better start in life for our children. Starting with extending free breakfast clubs, saving parents an average of £450 per year. Currently, this supports over 300,000 children. We’re also expanding free school meals to protect costs for working families.
Resilience
I remember what it was like growing up in the 1970s. My family couldn’t pay every bill. We struggled through the price rises and energy shocks of that decade.
But we always believed, in the end, that Britain would secure a better future for us.
And that’s what I think has been lacking through recent crises.
Frankly, it’s been lacking since the 2008 financial crash.
Previous Tory governments wanted to deal only with the symptoms, they couldn’t accept that the world has changed, because they did not want to create the stronger state that is necessary to protect our long-term national, economic and energy security.
Now – I know some people will look at the measures coming into effect this week cynically, and say all this was already planned.
To which I say, yes. That is the point.
My entire political project, our manifesto at the election, was done in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine which pushed up prices.
We campaigned for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies – which we extended. We focused on the cost of living. We emphasised the need for clean, homegrown British energy.
Because we knew we would be defined by our ability to stand up to this volatile world. To make our country more secure and resilient. To give working people a fairer deal and deliver more opportunities for their children.
So yes – there is a plan.
We planned to make our country stronger in these moments, and we enter this crisis on that basis.
It’s not easy, and I won’t pretend that it is.
But we are on path to becoming a more secure country, more resilient to shocks like this.
And also a fairer country.
That is why something like child poverty matters in this age of insecurity, because it represents the hope we need to come together as one country.
Do not doubt the character of this government.
We are the most working-class government in the history of this country. We will have your back on the cost of living, and we will protect your living standards from this changed world.
In the decade following the financial crash, Britain missed an opportunity to change.
This time will be different – because we are different.
The difference
Because as the world continues down this volatile course, it is clear that our long-term national interest now requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe – and with the European Union.
We have made progress on this front, since the election, on agriculture, electricity, emissions trading – and more.
But Brexit did deep damage to the economy.
And the opportunities to strengthen our security and reduce the cost of living through partnership, they are simply too big to ignore.
So in the coming weeks, we will announce a new summit with our EU partners.
But more importantly – at that summit the UK will not just ratify existing commitments made at last year’s summit, but set a path towards a deeper and much more ambitious partnership, that recognises our shared values and our shared future, and is more appropriate to the dangerous world we must navigate, together.
A world that we are prepared for, are ready for, and where we will carefully chart Britain’s course.
Guided, at all times, by the interests of the British people.
Making every day easier
Now I know people are worried and frustrated – change in things like the cost of living cannot come fast enough.
Our approach to the economy is the right one. My government will not be afraid to use the economic strength we have built to help where we can.
Long term resilience alongside meaningful relief.
And a clear destination in mind.
A fairer Britain that delivers a better life and more opportunities for your family.
Keir.
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