Every Labour U-turn – from tractor tax to digital IDs – as Starmer rows back on postponing local elections
The most significant Labour U-turns after major council elections change
- Ministers have scrapped proposals to delay local elections for numerous councils scheduled for May, representing another embarrassing policy reversal for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Here are the most significant U-turns from the Labour government:
- Mandatory digital ID: Sir Keir scrapped a key part of his plans for digital ID, rowing back on the requirement to make it mandatory for right-to-work checks.
- Business rate relief for pubs: Rachel Reeves U-turned on her plans to scrap business rate relief for pubs, following a backlash from the hospitality sector and Labour MPs.
- Tractor tax: The government significantly watered down its plans to tax inherited farmland, following months of intense pressure from the agricultural sector. The initial proposal aimed to impose a 20 per cent levy on agricultural assets above £1m from April 2026. However, Labour announced that it would raise the threshold to £2.5m, meaning most farms will now be exempt from the charge.
- Hillsborough Law: The government withdrew a contentious amendment to its Hillsborough Law, following concerns that intelligence agencies might exploit it to evade a proposed duty of candour. The amendment would have granted security services the power to decide if their agents could provide information to inquiries, aiming to prevent the inadvertent exposure of operatives. However, politicians had strongly advocated for the duty of candour to apply universally, including to intelligence personnel, leading to the amendment's removal.
- Income tax hike: The Chancellor opted against increasing income tax in the Budget, despite weeks of public signals suggesting she was poised to break the party’s manifesto pledge on the matter.
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