All change across the nation

2024 SAW NEW LEADERS TAKE THEIR POSITIONS IN ALL FOUR OF THE UK'S PARLIAMENTS

- DAVID HUGHES

SIR Keir Starmer found winning an election a lot easier than governing in another turbulent year for UK politics.

The Labour landslide in July was a bigger victory than many in Sir Keir's inner circle had dared to hope for, with a pack of Tory big beasts - including former prime minister Liz Truss losing their seats as Rishi Sunak led the Conservatives to their worst election result.

But within weeks of taking office in July, the new government was forced to make unpopular decisions as ministers confronted the realities of the creaking public services and strained national finances they inherited.

A crisis in the prison system led the government to reduce the amount of time most offenders will spend behind bars before being released from 50% to 40% of their sentence.

And Chancellor Rachel announced winter fuel payments would be stripped from millions of pensioners, blaming the Tories for leaving a £22bn black hole in the budget for the current year.

Reeves Her first Budget in October saw £40bn of tax rises, with howls of protest from businesses and farmers over increases to employers' national insurance contributions and changes to inheritance tax relief for agricultural property.

But she hoped the Budget would "wipe the slate clean", with the nation's finances secured and increased borrowing and tax revenue paying for improvements in public services -including £22.6bn extra over two years for the NHS.