One hundred days in office would appear to be far too short a period to judge any administration, but it has long been a favourite timeframe used by political commentators to draw conclusions about successes and failures and the likely future fortunes of a newly elected government.
If there was a honeymoon period following Labour’s convincing electoral victory on 4th July, it was the equivalent of a quick weekend by the seaside rather than a prolonged break in tropical sunshine.
Three months on, and the popularity of the Prime Minister has dipped alarmingly following a stream of stories about freebies, accusations of cronyism and infighting at No.10.
And with the Chancellor still waiting to deliver her first budget, there has also been a sense of a lack of momentum as Ministers wait to see what funds they have available to drive any initiatives within their respective departments.
Could it all part of a strategy to get the bad news out of the way early on?
Chris Jones Editor of PHAM News
Going for growth
That said, Labour’s first few months in power have not been entirely devoid of ideas and some of the boldest policy statements could potentially have a lasting impact on those who earn a living in the heating and plumbing sector and the wider construction industry.
The pledges to drive growth, build more houses and remove bureaucratic barriers have helped to revive confidence for investors, while lifting the ban on new onshore wind farms and the creation of a state-backed energy company have provided early proof of the new government’s determination to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and bolster the green economy.
The engagement of a skilled workforce will be essential to the country as it progresses to net zero and the government has announced plans to introduce a new growth and skills levy which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy.
It will include new foundation apprenticeships, with a greater emphasis on the job opportunities provided by more sustainable technologies, and will also allow funding for shorter apprenticeships, something that should appeal to smaller installation companies, giving learners and employers greater flexibility over their training than under the existing system where apprenticeships must run for at least 12 months.
The proposals recognise that more needs to be done to address employer investment in training which has been in steady decline over the last decade and puts the UK shamefully low down in any national funding table for vocational training.
Barriers to change
Such measures and other pronouncements made in the early days of office suggest that the industry should be bracing itself for a period of transformation.
However, could Labour’s ambitions be curtailed by future compromises and self-imposed budgetary constraints?
The pledge to build 1.5 million homes over five years is largely reliant on easing planning restrictions, but many critics have argued that forcing developers to put in low carbon technologies in new homes could both limit affordable housing numbers and force the government to abandon any hope of hitting its building targets.
The Future Homes Standard, which should help to ensure that new homes have the highest levels of energy efficiency, is yet to see the light of day, but there are fears that it could be watered down in response to house builders who are determined to limit the impact of anything that could reduce their profit margins.
Similarly, promises to improve workers’ rights and reduce zero-hour contracts could do much to improve job security for employees, but are unlikely to be embraced by business investors and budding entrepreneurs.
The next 1,000 days
The introduction of means testing to determine if pensioners are entitled to winter fuel payments has probably been the least popular decision made by the new government and again reflects how ministerial ambitions are always likely to be constrained by Treasury finances.
The decision followed on from a series of gloomy economic forecasts and has done much to swiftly cast a shadow over what might otherwise have been expected to be a time of hope and optimism for our new law makers.
But could it all part of a strategy to get the bad news out of the way nice and early in the electoral cycle?
The timing of the budget, the day before Halloween, will no doubt inspire newspaper cartoonists to characterise Chancellor Reeves in various ghoulish guises as she tries to balance the books while keeping to pre-election promises to avoid higher taxes for workers.
The decisions made in that budget are likely to have bigger consequences than events during the first hundred days and it is the progress made over the next thousand that will ultimately decide whether the government will be able to celebrate even longer milestones.
Chris Jones is editor of PHAM News
