Keir Starmer focuses on high cost of living in Christmas message
In his Christmas message, Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the persistent struggle with the cost of living across Britain, saying “challenges may be felt even more acutely” during the festive season. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister urged the public to “reach out” to their friends, family and neighbours, emphasizing that “each of us must do our part”.
These messages come at the end of a difficult year for the government, which has made little progress on its economic growth agenda.
The Bank of England recently warned that growth, which has been on a downward trend throughout the year, is expected to stagnate in the last quarter of 2025. Consumer confidence also remained weak, driven by ongoing cost of living pressures in the run-up to Christmas.
In a video speech broadcast on Christmas Eve, Sir Keir paid tribute to those working over the holidays.
“Just as many people are stepping up, some truly special people will be putting on their uniforms and going to work,” he said.
In particular, “our NHS staff, emergency services and the brave men and women of our armed forces are all playing their part, doing their bit to look after the nation and keep us safe.” He also paid tribute to the volunteers: “Many volunteers will also be there. They will be serving meals. They will be reaching out to help those who are lonely or in need.”
Sir Keir concluded his thanks by saying: “So I want to say a big thank you on behalf of the whole country. As a nation, we must raise our glass to you this Christmas. But more than that, each of us must do our bit too.”
He reiterated his focus on economic challenges: “I know many people in Britain are still struggling with the high cost of living. My priority is to help with this.” Emphasizing community spirit, she added: “But at this time of year when love and abundance are celebrated, loss or distress can feel even more acute. So call a neighbour. Check in on a friend or relative you haven’t heard from in a while. Reach out. It can make a big difference. That’s what Christmas is all about.”
The Labor leader has overcome internal party challenges this year and led to changes on several policy fronts, including proposals to cut winter fuel payments and reforms aimed at halting the rising welfare bill.
Simultaneously, it reflected a difficult period for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who completed her first year as leader without a formal challenge after facing leadership speculation.
In his own Christmas message, he described it as “the greatest challenge of my life”. “Life can be amazing, but it can also have its ups and downs,” he said.
“Christmas is a chance to reflect on the past year, be grateful for the good things, mourn what we have lost, and look forward to what we will do next year.” Expressing his gratitude, he said: “With that in mind, I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported me in my first year as Opposition Leader. It’s been the biggest challenge of my life, but it’s also been a great year. I can’t wait to get back to work next year to create a better United Kingdom.”
His message follows the government announcement to increase the threshold for inheritance tax relief for farmers from £1 million to £2.5 million, which comes after months of protests and warnings from the farming sector.
Sir Keir and Ms Badenoch chose Christmas trees as the background of their video messages, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey made the Norway spruce behind him the main theme of his speech. He noted: “The Christmas tree behind me gets a lot of abuse every year. Social media trolls who spread right-wing conspiracy theories like to compare it to the tree in New York City, Warsaw and Budapest. They say it’s an example of our country’s decline.”
Sir Ed admitted: “And I have to admit, it doesn’t look very inviting at first glance. But it’s also my favorite Christmas tree.” He later explained its significance: “You see, this tree is a gift from the people of Oslo to the people of Britain for our support during the Second World War. They have sent one every year since 1947. It is a wonderful tradition that reminds us of the greatest generation and the sacrifices they made.” He added that it evoked thoughts of “people standing together in difficult times, whether it was against the Nazis in the 1940s or in Ukraine now.”
Reform England leader Nigel Farage shared photos of himself carrying out “Christmas deliveries in Clacton” on Tuesday.
