As Britain wakes up after Christmas, we reflect on a year where our economy has been taken in the wrong direction. Growth in 2025 is now expected to have been lower than was predicted at the start of the year – despite claims from Rachel Reeves that the economy has beaten the forecasts.
And the latest World Economic League Table from the Centre for Economics and Business Research shows the UK is expected to fall in the global rankings when it comes to our output per person. Labour promised “growth, growth, growth.” In fact, they said it was their “number one mission”.
But on the measure which Keir Starmer himself said he would measure himself by, GDP per capita, we are not getting any richer. While other nations surge ahead, incomes here in Britain are stagnating.
And Labour ended the year with a sure sign that they will only make the problems worse.
Their Benefits Budget rewarded welfare, not work, and failed to create the conditions for sustainable growth.
A weak economy affects every corner of daily life: from job opportunities and wages to public services and national security.
While emerging economies embrace reform, innovation, and investment, Britain risks being left behind – watching others rise while families here feel the squeeze.
It does not have to be this way. The solution is clear. Britain needs policies that reward work, enterprise, and innovation – and fiscal discipline so we can deliver stability and start to bring taxes down.
We must make the UK an attractive place for investment, cut unnecessary levies and red tape, and ensure our talent is harnessed to drive growth.
That is why this year the Conservatives have set out a clear plan to get spending under control, cut the deficit, boost businesses by cutting business rates for high streets, help households by abolishing stamp duty on family homes, and reward work with a new First Job Bonus. All of this would strengthen the economy and lift living standards.
Labour faces a choice: continue down a path of rising debt and stagnant growth, or act decisively to restore confidence in the economy. History will judge this Labour government not by rhetoric, but by results – the opportunities it creates or the ones it lets slip away.
Britain cannot afford complacency or policies that prioritise political survival over national prosperity. For families, for businesses, and for our place in the world, the message is clear: the time to act is now.
As we say goodbye to 2025 – undoubtedly Rachel Reeves‘ annus horribilis – I urge the Chancellor to change course in 2026. It’s not too late to put the country before your own political survival.
