PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said he will still be in office this time next year, dismissing concerns about his leadership in an interview with the BBC.
Speaking on Sunday in an interview with the BBC, Starmer said elections in Scotland, Wales and England in May were not a “referendum” on his government. His comments follow a difficult 2025 marked by slowing economic growth, weak poll ratings and speculation about a leadership challenge.
Starmer said: “I was elected in 2024 with a five-year mandate to change the country, and that's what I intend to do, to be faithful to that mandate.” He added that he would be judged at the next election on whether he had delivered on issues that matter to voters.
Parliament returns from the Christmas recess on Monday, with the prime minister set to hold his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 on Tuesday. He is expected to tell ministers there would be “no let-up” in efforts to address the cost of living.
Addressing leadership stability, Starmer said frequent changes under the previous government caused “utter chaos” and said he would not repeat that. He added: “I will be sitting in this seat by 2027.”
Elections to the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd, the Scottish Parliament and many English councils will be held on 7 May.
The government also faced reports of a leadership plot involving Health Secretary Wes Streeting, which he denied. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer’s record, saying his decisions had worsened the cost of living.
