When voters elected a new Labour Government 180 days ago, on July 4th 2024, we entered office with the backdrop of an economic inheritance that was the worst since the Second World War. Within days of taking office we also discovered a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, that had been withheld from Parliament and the country, by the previous Conservative Government.

After 14 years of Tory mismanagement, working families were left picking up the pieces. Liz Truss had crashed the economy, causing mortgages to skyrocket, our energy supplies were dependant on tyrants like Putin and bills had gone through the roof. Our public services were devastated, neighbourhood policing gutted out, and as a result, people understandably doubted that politics could make a difference in their lives.

Against that backdrop of chaos, Labour was elected on the promise of change, which is precisely what we are delivering. Our mission is clear: to rebuild public trust, restore economic stability, and usher in a decade of national renewal. We know the scale of the challenge, and things certainly can’t be fixed overnight, but the UK Labour Government is taking the tough decisions needed to secure the country’s future.

What we’ve delivered in our first 180 days:

Launching GB Energy
On day one, we began delivering our promise to tackle the energy crisis – we lifted the ban on onshore wind and unveiled a £7.3 billion National Wealth Fund to invest in green infrastructure. GB Energy is at the heart of our mission to create good jobs, restore our energy independence, lower bills, and put Britain at the forefront of a clean energy revolution.

Rail Nationalisation Bill
For years, rail passengers have suffered under a failing system. Labour has acted decisively by introducing the Rail Nationalisation Bill – ensuring that rail networks will return to public ownership as existing contracts end or earlier if operators fail to meet their obligations to passengers. We have also established Great British Railways, a new body that will deliver a more reliable network, delivering for passengers, not profit. The days of the taxpayer shouldering the liabilities and train operating companies the profits, will be over.

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
Reforming the outdated House of Lords was long overdue. Labour has acted quickly on our manifesto commitment to modernise our democracy by introducing the Hereditary Peers Bill – removing the indefensible right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in Parliament and introducing a mandatory retirement age of 80.

Immigration
Labour scrapped the Conservatives’ costly and unworkable Rwanda scheme. Instead, we are delivering practical solutions, not gimmicks. A new Border Command has been established to strengthen our border security and work with European and other partners to smash criminal smuggling gangs. In just six months, the government has deported nearly 13,500 individuals who were in the country illegally – the highest figure for any six-month period in five years.

Delivering for Wales for the first time in a generation
The new UK Labour government is delivering for Wales like never before. For the first time in a generation, Wales has received record funding in the Autumn Budget; the largest real terms settlement since the dawn of devolution. £21 billion for Welsh Government including an extra £1.7 billion for our NHS and other public services.

• Over 100,000 Welsh workers have already benefited from increases to the National Minimum and Living Wages. Full time workers getting an extra £1400 a year and 18-20 year olds working full time getting an increase of £2500 a year.
• Ending the historic injustice of the mineworker’s pension scheme with a 32 per cent boost to the annual pensions of 112,000 former mineworkers across the UK.
• Hundreds of millions of pounds has been delivered to keep coal tips safe, support steelworkers and businesses, invest in research and innovation, protecting communities and driving investment into Wales through freeports and investment zones with tax incentives for businesses so new jobs can be created and people can have more money in their pockets.

Wales has a strong voice in Westminster once again. Gone are the days when Tory Governments disrespected and ignored Wales. With two Labour Governments working together for the benefit of everyone in Wales, we will bring the change that people voted for.

Our first 180 days in office have shown that change is happening. This is just the beginning. We are engaged in a decade-long process of national renewal that will restore hope, rising living standards and economic security to every corner of the country.