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The first 18 months of Labour in power have seen more than a dozen U-turns.
From welfare cuts to a climbdown on inheritance tax for farmers, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves appear to have gone back on several manifesto pledges and promises made before they were elected.
As the government made its latest U-turn on mandatory digital ID cards for workers, Sky News is looking at some of the biggest U-turns Labour has made since coming into power.
Musk caused outrage by calling Jess Phillips (above) a “rape genocide apologist”. Pic: AP
Grooming gangs
A central government-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in Oldham, requested by the council, was originally declined.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk launched a series of online attacks on Sir Keir and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips over that decision – going as far as calling Ms Phillips a “witch” who should go to prison.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch joined in, calling for a national probe.
The prime minister resisted calls for an inquiry for months.
But in June 2025, Sir Keir announced he would follow the recommendation of Baroness Casey to hold another inquiry into grooming gangs.
How the government measures debt
In her budget in 2024, Ms Reeves changed the fiscal rules on how the government measures debt, allowing up to £50bn of extra borrowing.
This was welcomed by many, but it wasn’t in Labour’s election manifesto. Back then, Ms Reeves talked more about her iron discipline with the fiscal rules.
“But I can confirm today that we will be measuring debt differently,” she said in October 2024, ahead of the budget.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Pic: PA
Trans rights
After the Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definition of a woman in April 2025, Sir Keir seemed to change his previous stance on…
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