Labour's first year sees mixed results in delivering election promises

In the United Kingdom, July 4 marks a year since the Labour party came into power, leading to public scrutiny regarding the fulfillment of their election promises. Among the prominent commitments were reducing NHS waiting lists, increasing the number of teachers in schools, and renationalising the railway system. An analysis of these pledges indicated that the government has managed to either fully meet or stay on track with 22 out of 36 promises made during the 2024 election campaign. However, there are 10 pledges categorized as inconclusive, leaving uncertainty about their current status. Additionally, 4 are considered not delivered or off track. One of the most contentious issues has been the promise regarding National Insurance taxes. Labour's manifesto explicitly claimed that it would not increase rates on working people, yet critics argue that the government has elevated employer National Insurance charges, potentially violating this pledge. In response, the administration justifies the move by emphasizing the benefits of increased funding for the NHS through the Plan for Change. Another significant commitment was to enhance NHS services, aiming to provide an additional 40,000 weekly appointments. Unfortunately, due to a lack of specific progress reporting and measurement criteria, the status of this pledge remains unclear and cannot be fully evaluated at this time. The changes in teacher recruitment are also under scrutiny, with the latest Department for Education figures showing a decrease of 400 teachers across England within a year. Even though the number of students entering teacher training is increasing, the overall teacher count decline raises concerns about the government's ability to fulfill its promise of recruiting more educators. The Institute for Public Policy Research has provided an optimistic perspective, stating that recruitment can be enhanced given recent pay rises for teachers. However, they also stressed that further funding is essential to achieve significant improvements in this area. In terms of infrastructure, Labour's agenda to renationalise the rail system is currently underway, with a law passed in November 2024 to take over contracts as they expire. The administration has successfully taken over South Western Railway, with plans to acquire additional contracts in the coming years. Despite some skepticism from early childcare and education stakeholders regarding meeting new commitments, the results so far indicate active efforts toward their implementation.