Keir Starmer returned to Westminster this week with a bulging in-tray – from the migrant hotel crisis to Reform’s rise, the looming Budget and foreign policy flashpoints. The question is – which battle should he fight first?
Now Parliament is back from its summer slumber, Keir Starmer has walked straight into a storm of competing demands.
His in-tray is already groaning under the weight of urgent matters, from the migrant hotel crisis to the looming challenge of Reform, not to mention the all-important Budget waiting in the wings. But we want to know which burning issue you want to see the PM tackle as a priority – by taking our poll below.
Starmer is going to need both stamina and sharp instincts to set the tone for the months ahead, deciding what to prioritise and how to keep his grip on a restless Parliament.
Here we take a look at the challenges and flashpoints awaiting him after the summer break:
The Budget: Labour’s success has hinged on its promise of strong economic leadership, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ upcoming November Budget will be a key test of that pledge. While she must balance her strict fiscal rules with the need to deliver for working people, the party has ruled out rises in income tax, national insurance, or VAT, instead considering measures such as higher taxes on landlords to target “unearned income.” The Budget is expected to focus on boosting productivity and wages after years of stagnation, with likely investment in infrastructure and efforts to cut red tape, all designed to ensure that households feel tangible benefits from Labour’s economic strategy.
Asylum Hotels: The controversy over asylum hotels has dominated the recess, with protests, legal challenges from local councils, and a High Court ruling that closing one in Epping could spark further unrest. While Keir Starmer has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029, the Home Office insists the process must be gradual, a stance the government will need to justify to voters amid expected Tory attacks in PMQs. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch’s party has used the issue to question the role of the judiciary, a theme likely to continue as Parliament resumes.
What should Starmer’s priority be for the rest of 2025? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
Small boats: The PM returned with criticism of the Government’s handling of the small boats crisis ringing in his ears, just as it has for all the recent leaders.
However, Home Office figures show with a final tally of 3,567 arrivals, August has seen the lowest total for people crossing the Channel in that month since 2021. In what is usually one of the busiest periods of the year, it has also seen the lowest number of small boats making the crossing since August 2019.
Tackling Reform: As Parliament returns, both Labour and the Conservatives see Nigel Farage’s Reform Party – currently leading in some polls despite controversies and policy reversals – as their main political challenge. Labour is still working out its response, with Starmer adopting a hardline stance on immigration that has unsettled parts of his party. Labour’s attacks are expected to focus on portraying Reform as out of touch with workers, particularly given its extreme positions such as praising the Taliban and proposing deportations of women and children.
Education: This will be a key theme in the first weeks of MPs return, with the government talking up their plans to give children the best possible start to life. This includes a crackdown on behaviour and attempts to boost attendance at the start of school term. Ministers announced on Sunday Attendance and Behaviour Hubs across 800 schools.
Palestine recognition of the UN and crisis in Gaza: Britain is one of several countries, along with France, Canada, Australia, and Malta that all say they are preparing to recognise a state of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. They would join another 147 UN countries that already do so. Though the move is largely symbolic, there is hope it can force the Israeli government and Hamas into a ceasefire.
Trump and Ukraine: The Ukraine war has been a huge priority in the PM’s in-tray since he came to power – and only got more complicated since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Mr Starmer has been left having to keep up with the unpredictable nature of Mr Trump. The US President has rolled out the red carpet for the dictator Vladimir Putin, and suggested Ukraine, a country that was invaded, shared blame for the conflict. Starmer will continue his charm offensive with Trump, beginning with a state visit
Labour Conference: Aside from the Budget, the Labour conference may be the most important event of the year for Starmer. It represents a chance for the PM to re-outline his vision for Britain, and show how the good work done so far, through measures such as the new deal for working people, and investments from GB Energy, will soon start to be felt by the public.
What should Starmer’s priority be for the rest of 2025? Take our poll above and expand on your feelings in the comments below
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