From pubs to digital ID: Every Labour U-turn so far
Sir Keir Starmer's 14 plus U-turns so far as government backtracks on local elections decision
Sir Keir Starmer has backtracked on his plans to postpone local elections for 30 councils and has now confirmed the votes will go ahead in May.
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The prime minister announced the U-turn after stating last year that some of the elections would need to be held another time to address a lack of resources.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Government said: "Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May.
"Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026."
The government has made a number of U-turns since its election in July 2024; here we compile some of the reversals in policy so far.
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Every U-turn the Labour government has made since being elected in July 2024
October 2024: How the government measures debt
In her 2024 budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves walked back on one of her much-touted fiscal rules to change how the government measures national debt.
This allowed her to borrow up to £50bn more. "But I can confirm today that we will be measuring debt differently," she said in October 2024, ahead of the budget.
May 2025: Winter fuel payments
Sir Keir announced a partial u-turn on winter fuel payments after months of furious opposition from the public and MPs.
Many Labour MPs had blamed the controversial policy change - which saved £3billion for the Treasury - for Labour losing the Runcorn byelection.
June 2025: Grooming gangs
The Government has for months held off launching a statutory probe into grooming gangs, only to bow to pressure.
The PM said he accepted Baroness Louise Casey's recommendation for an investigation after reading her independent report into child sexual exploitation.
July 2025: Benefits bill
Sir Keir made a slew of concessions to rebel MPs to get his Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill through its first round of voting.
The PM then announced those currently receiving the benefit would continue to do so after the bill was passed.
November 2025: Waspi women compensation
In November, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced that ministers will reconsider their decision to not award compensation to the so-called Waspi women.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group claim they were affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated.
Ministers have committed to make “best endeavours” to reconsider potential compensation within 12 weeks, or by February 24, and to pay more than half of Waspi’s legal costs, the group said.
Last year, a report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected.
But in December 2024, the Government had said that, while it accepted the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and apologised for a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, could not be justified.
November 2025: Two-child benefits cap
The Government announced in the autumn budget that the two-child cap is being scrapped from April.
It was introduced by the Conservative government in 2017, and has been widely criticised by Labour MPs and anti-poverty advocate groups.It is estimated the move will cost £3 billion by 2029-30, according to the OBR.
November 2025: Income tax rise
Ms Reeves all but confirmed she would be raising income tax, breaking from her party's 2024 election manifesto pledge, only to back down before the Budget.
The chancellor reportedly abandoned plans over fears they could anger both voters and backbench Labour MPs.
November 2025: Day-one workers’ rights
In November, ministers axed the proposal to cut the “qualifying period” for workers to make an unfair dismissal claim from 24 months to the first day in a new job, in a bid to get the legislation through Parliament.
The Government now intends to introduce the right after six months of service instead, while other day-one rights to parental leave and sick pay will still go ahead, coming into effect in April 2026
December 2025: Tractor tax
Labour announced it will raise the inheritance tax relief threshold for farmers in a major climbdown following backlash from rural communities.
Raising the threshold will significantly reduce the number of farms and business owners facing higher inheritance tax bills under the reforms of the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs announced at Budget 2024.
January 2026: Pub business rate relief
Ms Reeves U-turned in January over plans to scrap business rate relief for pubs.
Pubs in England will now get 15% off their business rates next year, with the amount they pay frozen for two years after that, the final decision said.
January 2026: Mandatory ID
Plans for compulsory digital ID were sold as a way of deterring illegal immigration by making it harder to work illegally in Britain.
It was reported in January that ministers were rowing back on the compulsory element but the government is said to be pressing ahead with right-to-work checks of some kind.
January 2026: Hillsborough law delayed
The long-awaited law on the back of the Hillsborough Stadium disaster has been put back, it was announced in January, for its “duty of candour” to be re-examined.
Concerns had been raised that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ would not be held to the same standards as under proposals, which had once already been watered down.
February 2026: Local elections
Labour had said in the autumn of 2025 that 30 of the 136 local elections planned for May 2026 might be postponed due to infrastructures not being ready,
By February 2026, however, the government had said that “following legal advice” it would now go ahead with the elections as originally planned.