What are Keir Starmer’s ‘five missions’ and can Labour deliver?

Sean O’Grady examines the Labour leader’s promises and whether his party can achieve them

Keir Starmer delivering his vision in Manchester

(PA)

Keir Starmer has pledged “to give Britain back hope and confidence” through a mission-led government headed by him. The Labour leader told an audience in Manchester that five subsidiary “missions” to secure success will form the “backbone of the Labour manifesto” for the next election and constitute the “pillars of the next Labour government”. Will his plan further boost Labour’s healthy poll lead, and can it work?

Secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 by the end of a Labour first term

This is the first and most significant of the “missions”, because, not putting things too subtly, there’s not much any government can do without money – and that needs economic growth. Like most political pledges, including Rishi Sunak’s rival five promises, there is some wriggle room behind the bold-sounding ambition; ‘by the end of Labour’s first term’ could refer to the final quarter of the last year of the administration or the cumulative growth record across four or five years.