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Keir Starmer got a lot done in his last week in office. Much of it you’ll be forgiven for missing, since the media was focused on the man about to take his job.
But these are some major changes that the now-former PM will be hoping adds to his legacy. It may not be noticed now, but it may be in a few years.
The announcements below are from the 12th July to the 19th, Keir Starmer’s last full week in office. So this is just a snapshot of his final flourishes. There’s a lot in here nonetheless.
Plug-In Solar
Byline Times spotted some legislation quietly laid just before Starmer’s departure. It is secondary legislation and doesn’t need a vote. The rules to legalise installing plug-in solar set-ups (or ‘balcony solar’ as it’s often known), without needing an electrician for sign-off, come into force at the end of August.
That means millions more people will have access to solar power, particularly those who don’t own a roof. That’s just in time to meet the Government’s self-imposed deadline of getting the rules in place by the end of the summer.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson told this outlet: “We expect plug-in solar panels to be available to buy this summer, giving millions of households the opportunity to cut their energy bills.
“Already widely used throughout Europe, these easy-to-install panels could save many households significant amounts of money while supporting our drive for clean, homegrown power.”
The spokesperson said Government was working to remove barriers as quickly as possible so that “every household can have the choice to install plug-in solar in their homes.”
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British Steel Nationalised
A nationalisation of this scale would usually flood the front pages.
On 16th July, Keir Starmer’s Government took British Steel into public ownership, “to protect the future of steel production in the UK.”
The move follows the recent Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act becoming law. Ministers concluded that bringing the company into public ownership was necessary to protect the UK’s national interest.
Maintaining steel production at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site is considered essential to preserving the UK’s ability to make steel domestically. Former Chinese owner Jingye protested against the move, but the risk of production stopping altogether there was considered something the Government had to prevent. PM Starmer said British Steel is “part of the fabric of our nation and a cornerstone of Britain’s industrial strength.”
In a separate but related announcement, also enacted under Keir Starmer, all government contracts using steel will have to confirm whether they are using British steel, or explain why they are not.
There is also new guidance to all government departments to use the national security powers in the 2023 Procurement Act to directly award certain government contracts (“where appropriate and lawful”) to British companies, including steel, shipbuilding, the energy sector and AI initially.
Review of Election Spending Limits
This could be a big one for the future of free and fair elections. The Government has asked the Electoral Commission to review party spending limits for UK elections, which were massively hiked by the Conservatives, with little debate, in 2023.
Minister Dixon wrote, in a missive that received practically zero coverage: “In December 2025, in light of the Nathan Gill case, and the deeply concerning evidence of Russian state-linked actors’ attempt to influence democracy in the UK, the Government appointed Philip Rycroft to lead an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics. The review set out to rigorously test the financial safeguards we currently have in place and recommend areas for improving mitigations…
“Philip Rycroft argued that reducing spending limits could potentially relieve some of the fund-raising pressure, in turn diminishing the inducement to look to non-permissible sources to stay ahead.” Making a recommendation was out of his remit so the Government is asking the EC to look at it, and come back with recommendations within a year.
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“Party spending limits were raised significantly for the first time in 2023, and since then we have seen many stakeholders argue for lower limits, including Transparency International and Spotlight on Corruption.
” Considering the concerns I have heard during the course of the Bill, and the wider views presented by Mr Rycroft and other stakeholders, I am of the opinion that an independent assessment is needed of the adequacy of the current spending limits in electoral law,” the Minister wrote. The Electoral Commission has agreed to conduct the review. The full letter is here.
Solar for Schools
Nearly 250 schools and colleges in England already have government-funded solar panels, slashing their bills and freeing up cash for pupils. Now 100 more will join the Great British Energy Solar Partnership, backed by “up to £40 million” from the Government. Another 150 are joining a pilot project working with private firms but with no upfront cost (presumably a ‘rental’ or repayment model).
Secondary schools who have had solar panels installed, and their lights upgraded to LED lighting, are according to Government figures saving £58,600 a year, and primaries £21,000 – cash going straight back into teaching.
Dartmoor Ponies Saved
Following a lot of consternation from animal lovers – and a fair amount of media frenzy – Dartmoor ponies will be removed from ‘stocking rate calculations’, so that farmers do not face a choice between keeping ponies and maintaining sheep or cattle.
A new dedicated pony supplement will be introduced into farming schemes to remove any financial incentive to reduce pony populations in the Devon National Park.
Andy Burnham’s Cabinet Represents Starmerism Without Starmer
The new Prime Minister promised radical change, yet his picks for the Cabinet tell a very different story, argues Adam Bienkov
Awaab’s Law Progress
All social housing tenants will get more rights to have serious problems dealt with faster, under strict new rules for landlords from 30 November 2026.
The changes are being brought in under Awaab’s Law – introduced after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 after living with dangerous damp and mould.
Social landlords will have to fix more dangers like electrical faults, pest infestations and unsafe stairs to quicker timeframes. More hazards that pose an “immediate danger” to social housing tenants must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours, and serious issues that aren’t an immediate danger will have to be fixed ‘short term’ within around 15 days (12 weeks to start longer structural repairs).
Small Boats Inquiry
On 9 November 2023, the then Secretary of State for Transport announced an Inquiry into the tragic events of November 2021 when at least 30 people died a