Political leaders eye ‘buzz’ and ‘big opportunity’ in new year messages

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. No matter how hard or tough the circumstances Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister And Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the Labour Government to “show the urgency and ambition that this moment demands because I’m afraid that we haven’t seen anything like the real change from this Government on the scale the British people are yearning for”. Sir Keir said in his first new year’s message since last July’s general election: “Here’s to a year of changing Britain for the better.” He had earlier said: “I know there is still so much more to do and that, for many people, it’s hard to think about the future when you spend all of your time fighting to get through the week. He had earlier said: “What we need this year is the Government to show the urgency and ambition this moment demands because I’m afraid that we haven’t seen anything like the real change from this Government on the scale the British people are yearning for.” In sport, Sir Ed described England’s “brilliant run to the final at the Euros” despite their defeat in Berlin last year, while “Team GB made us proud with all those medals in Paris”. “We’re in societal decline, we’re in economic decline, most people are getting poorer with every year that passes, we’re losing any sense of national identity and we’re actually teaching kids at school that people like Winston Churchill – born in this palace – are bad people and that our country’s history is something to be ashamed of.” Turning to his own party’s membership, Mr Farage said “tens of thousands of people” had joined Reform over the Christmas period, adding: “There’s a buzz, there’s an energy, there’s an optimism.”