Keir Starmer's new Labour government makes positive start

Keir Starmer and his colleagues have had a busy time since winning the July 4 general election, with innovative appointments, a statement on the economy and overseas visits to rebuild relations with other countries.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has wasted no time in setting a new tone for government

And there will be more on Wednesday when the King's Speech sets out the new government's legislative plans. The 30 or more Bills are expected include measures to boost workers' rights, kickstart a major housebuilding programme, create publicly-owned GB Energy, nationalise the railways, crack down on people smuggling and remove hereditary peers.

There is justifiable disappointment at the absence of any commitment, so far, to abolish the two-child benefit cap, a move which campaigners say would lift 300,000 children out of poverty across the UK.

But the situation Labour has inherited is daunting after what Chancellor Rachel Reeves called  "14 years of chaos and economic irresponsibility".

And many of the new government’s actions so far are positive. The appointment of James Timpson as prisons minister suggests a new emphasis on rehabilitation in the justice system.

Labour has ruled out any return to the EU single market or customs union, but new Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been visiting European leaders to re-establish good relations with a view to closer co-operation. And Defence Secretary John Healey has been to Kyiv to reaffirm UK support for Ukraine.

Closer to home, Keir Starmer’s very first official engagement as PM was to come to Edinburgh for talks with First Minister John Swinney at the start of a UK tour to reset the relationship with the devolved governments.

The Prime Minister was also in Washington DC for the Nato summit and a successful meeting with President Joe Biden.

And Rachel Reeves announced the return of mandatory housing targets south of the border, as well as the lifting of the ban on onshore windfarms. She also launched the National Wealth Fund to increase investment in infrastructure projects.

After the chaotic rule of Boris Johnson and the disaster of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak promised to steady the ship but became fixated on ever more desperate - and doomed - attempts to restore his party's fortunes with populist measures like the Rwanda scheme, tax cuts and benefit crackdowns. 

The agenda now is different. The Rwanda plans have been scrapped and other priorities established. Keir Starmer has wasted no time in setting a new tone.

One SNP politician said: “Thank God we’ve got a Labour government rather than the last lot - anything would be an improvement. It’s just a relief to have someone decent in Number Ten.” And a voter not overly enthusiastic about politics said simply: “It’s nice to feel you can trust a politician again.”

At the very least, there are now people in charge who take the business of government with a new seriousness. At best, if they can achieve their aims on economic growth, they will go beyond their cautions manifesto pledges and make real improvements in people's lives.