Keir Starmer’s cost of living policies are piecemeal and dire

In a speech outside Downing Street this week, Keir Starmer spoke about his cost of living policies. The thing is, his remarks take the phrase a ‘band aid for a bullet wound’ to new heights.

Nearly all of these policies are reheated. They had already been announced.

Cost of living policies explained

The energy price cap until June — an attempt to shield Britons from volatile international energy prices — was announced in February. However, energy bills still rose on average by 68% (£713) between the winter of 2020 and 2025. This policy does next to nothing to address the overall and spiralling cost of living.

If Labour was serious about homegrown energy, the Prime Minister would deliver a Green New Deal, like he pledged to while campaigning to become Labour leader. This would mean Iran’s retaliatory blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, would have no impact on UK energy prices. It would also bring energy into public ownership — another way to make bills significantly cheaper.

Instead, Starmer said in his speech on Monday:

we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market.

Labour’s cut in fuel duty is also not a new policy. It’s a Conservative one from 2022 that Labour is actually removing in September rather than “extending” as Starmer presented in the speech. Labour is in fact bringing the first increase to fuel duty since 2011.

Rather than investing in modern development, Starmer also said he will make provisions for petrol stations to publish prices. The climate crisis means we need to swiftly move away from oil powered vehicles, not encourage them.

The 1945 Clement Attlee government delivered huge change, such as nationalising 20% of the economy. This brought down inflation for decades through a price drop in the essentials that every business and person relies on. It shows the government taking an active and strategic hand in the economy is entirely possible.

Featured image via the Canary