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Sir Keir Starmer has admitted life is “tough” for families across Britain in a gloomy new year message. Nearly 18 months after winning power in the 2024 General Election, Sir Keir admitted voters “long for a bit more money in your pockets” but predicted 2026 would be when people start to feel “a sense of hope”.

The Prime Minister said: “Things have been tough in Britain for a while. For many, life is still harder than it should be.” He added: “I share the frustration about the pace of change.

“The challenges we face were decades in the making, and renewal is not an overnight job.”

But he promised: “In 2026, the choices we’ve made will mean more people will begin to feel positive change in your bills, your communities and your health service.

“But even more people will feel once again a sense of hope, a belief that things can and will get better.”

Sir Keir blamed slow progress on “decades” of failure.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch highlighted challenges facing the country in her own message to usher in the new year, but insisted: “We shouldn’t lose hope. Britain is not destined for decline.”

She said her team was working on policies to “back business and fix our economy so we can fund our armed forces, police, schools, NHS and build something that we feel proud of”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage looked ahead to May’s elections in Scotland and Wales as well as local elections across England, saying they could demonstrate Reform was ahead of every other party.

Mr Farage said: “We may well be the last chance this country has to actually restore some proper values. Those are family, community, country.” He added: “But we cannot do this without you. And you will not get the change you want without us.”

Mr Farage said: “We need change in this country, real change. And if we go on voting for the same old parties, I promise you nothing will change.

“Think, just in the last few days, of the El-Fattah case. Here’s a guy that’s come out of Egypt, come back to Britain, who’s put out the most abominable, hateful tweets about killing Jews, killing white people, fighting the police.

“And this man was given citizenship by the Conservative Party and welcomed back into Britain by the Labour Party. Frankly, there is little to choose between the two.

“We’re the people offering hope. We’re the people offering change. And 2025 showed you, with those county elections which we won comfortably, what we are capable of.

“As we look forward to 2026, we have a massive set of elections: the whole of Scotland and Wales, all 32 London boroughs and thousands of council seats all over the country.”