Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Dan Sabbagh in Washington and Rowena Mason

Starmer says rebuilding UK means painful decisions, not just ‘a lick of paint’

Keir Starmer exits an official UK aircraft onto waiting red steps
Keir Starmer said his strategy for national reform was to ‘strip down the joint, rebuild the house’. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AP

Keir Starmer has said painful decisions such as cutting winter fuel payment to save £1.4bn a year are necessary as failure to act would be simply “putting a lick of paint over the damp”.

The prime minister described the process of taking decisions “that aren’t going to be popular” as part of a strategy of “strip down the joint, rebuild the house”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.