Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended a series of high-profile policy reversals, insisting his government is focused on "turning the country around" after 14 years of Conservative rule.
A Heated Exchange in the Commons
During a tense Prime Minister's Questions session on Wednesday 14 January 2026, the Labour leader faced sustained criticism from Tory opposition leader Kemi Badenoch. Badenoch grilled Starmer on multiple U-turns, which are proving difficult for Labour MPs to explain ahead of crucial local elections in May.
Badenoch accused Starmer of looking "clueless" and of "hanging Labour MPs out to dry" after they publicly defended government policies only to see them later reversed. She highlighted comments from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said the government needed to get policies "right the first time", hinting at internal tensions.
Starmer hit back with a pointed joke about the Conservative Party's legacy. "They had more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra. No wonder they’re knackered – and they left the country screwed," he said.
Key Policy Reversals Under Scrutiny
The clash centred on two major policy shifts. The first is a significant watering-down of the proposed mandatory digital ID scheme. The government has now confirmed the £1.8bn system will not be compulsory for all UK citizens, though digital right-to-work checks will remain mandatory. A government spokesman said the final scope of the digital ID is "yet to be decided" pending consultations.
While the Tony Blair Institute, a long-time backer of the idea, called it a change in "approach" not "direction", Badenoch labelled the original mandatory plan a "rubbish policy".
The second reversal involves business rates. The Treasury is expected to offer "temporary support" to pubs and hospitality businesses after climbing down on a previous Budget announcement. Badenoch contrasted this with the Tory pledge to scrap the tax for small businesses entirely.
Leadership and Political Fallout
When pressed on whether he would apologise to farmers affected by an inheritance tax U-turn, Starmer doubled down on his attack against the opposition. "What we are doing is turning the country around," he stated. "We have changed the failed approach of the last Tory government."
He also took aim at the state of the Conservative Party, saying: "I don’t know which is more pitiful: the flood of former Tory MPs deserting her sinking ship or the Reform party so desperate to launder any old desperate failed Tory politician."
The government did not provide a full estimate for the potential savings from the scaled-back digital ID programme, though it believes substantial public service efficiencies are possible. With local elections looming, the pressure is on Starmer to shore up Labour's support and present a united, decisive front.
