what were the government's biggest highs and most catastrophic lows in 2025?

Some of the key characters from the government’s year – from left,Andy Burnham,Angela Rayner,Keir Starmer,Rachel Reeves,Donald Trump and Peter Mandelson (Picture: Getty/PA/Reuters)

We’re coming to the end of the first full calendar year under a Labour government since 2009 – and how has it gone?

A kind answer might be: ‘It could have been smoother.’

Less charitably,it’s gone badly enough to dent the British public’s faith in mainstream politics as a whole.

There’s been open chat about whether a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer could happen in less than six months’ time,once we learn the results of May’s local elections.

Whether or not that thirsty speculation is a holdover from Tory chaos,it’s not exactly ideal for a sitting Prime Minister.

But amid all the gossip and fury,it can be hard to recall how we ended up here. What specifically happened to make the PM and his government so unpopular,and what are the wins that could form a counterargument?

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Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight,walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here.Here are my picks for Labour’s top and bottom moments for 2025.

What were the government’s best moments this year?

Trade deal season

Donald Trump dropped papers detailing the US/UK trade deal at the G7 in June (Picture: Suzanne Plunkett/PA Wire)For a few weeks in May this year,it seemed like the government simply couldn’t stop striking major trade deals.First came the deal with India. Then,just a couple of days later,a major agreement was announced with the US. And shortly afterwards,there was the first UK-EU summit since Brexit with talk of a ‘reset deal’.The US deal in particular proved to be more complex than it was perhaps first made out to be – but the amount of time ministers still spend trumpeting these deals demonstrate how proud of them they are.

Renters’ Rights Act

Of the 30 or so pieces of legislation granted Royal Assent in 2025,the Renters’ Rights Act may be the one that ends up directly impacting the most people.Effective from the start of May 2026,it brings in a raft of major changes to the private rental sector in England.This includes the scrapping of section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – something the Tories tried and failed to achieve before they were booted out last year – and the end of fixed-term leases.

Action on abusers

In a speech at the beginning of December,Starmer told the public: ‘In the year ahead,you will see the benefits of our approach. Not just in the national statistics,but in your communities.’Check back with us this time next year to find out if he was right.