Lack of planning has hit Labour's efforts to fix public services, says thinktank

"Starmer went into government with a set of missions, but no clear idea about how to achieve them or how those targets fit together in any meaningful way. He has not been properly engaged with this process. In opposition he should have been the one to say: This is my view of what public sector reform looks like', whether that's on devolution, or the health service, or anything else."

"Starmer must urgently get a grip if Labour is to enter the next election having delivered tangible improvements to the services upon which the public depends. The report forms part of a series of IfG analyses of public services across the country, including another highly critical one about the failure of the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to improve the NHS."

Keir Starmer entered government lacking clear plans to achieve his stated missions, producing disjointed attempts to reform multiple public services. Progress occurred only in children's social services, while prisons showed limited improvement and GP and hospital services saw little or no progress. Adult social care worsened following government actions in the previous year. The absence of coherent planning and visible leadership on public sector reform coincided with a slump in public support for Labour. Urgent, coordinated action and clearer engagement from the prime minister are necessary to deliver tangible service improvements before the next election.

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