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More energy, more passion: The five big tests for Labour in 2026

The government must think bigger and braver than they did in 2025.

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Zoe Grunewald and The Lead
Jan 03, 2026
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Can Starmer show courage – not just competence? Pic: House of Commons

Keir Starmer will be glad to see the back of 2025.

It was meant to be a gentle year: a chance for a new Labour government to settle in, and for the country to take a breath after more than a decade of chaos. But voters weren’t quite so forgiving. Cost-of-living pressures remained stubb…

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