Elections 2026: Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer writes for The News

Portsmouth is a proud city. And it has a lot to be proud of. People here work hard, play by the rules, and do the right thing.

But for too many families here and across the country, that isn't enough. Rising prices at the shops and the cost of energy bills have become a daily worry. I hear it wherever I go.

That's been true for too long, and now we're seeing even more pressure on the cost of living given the conflict in Iran. I’ve been clear from the start that this is not our war, and that we won't be dragged into it. But it is still disrupting supply chains, driving up energy prices and putting pressure on family finances here in Britain.

That’s why my government’s core focus remains on making life easier for families in Portsmouth and and doing what we can to ease the cost of living.

We’ve cut energy bills by over £100, we’ve increased the minimum wage, we’re delivering 30 hours free childcare and we’re raising the state pension.

We’re also making sure we get our NHS back on its feet after years of Tory neglect. Already, we’ve delivered over five million extra NHS appointments and we’ve hired 2,000 more GPs - and waiting lists have come down and they'll keep coming down.

We’re also giving the next generation has the best start in life, with free breakfast clubs opening in local primary schools across Portsmouth, and over 5,600 children set to benefit because we’ve abolished the cruel two child limit.

We’ve been able to do this because we have the right plan. Not the anger offered by Farage’s Reform, or the wrong answers offered by the Green Party.

This week’s local elections will decide who will run many of the local services you rely on. Reform have shown they can’t run local councils. They promised to cut taxes and cut waste but they’ve put up council tax and cut local services instead. They’ve brought chaos to the places that elected them last year.

As for the Greens, we know they have the wrong answers to the issues local communities face. You can’t fund public services with more borrowing, make our streets safer by legalising all drugs, or respond to global insecurity by leaving Nato. They’re just not serious.

Moments like the one we are living through need to be met with hope, rather than anger and division. The hope of an NHS where waiting lists are coming down – and they are. The hope of a country where people’s wages are rising – and they are. And the hope of a country where poverty is being slashed and our children have a better future – and it is.

That’s the future my Labour government is building. Together, by standing up for every part of our communities, we can ease the pressure families are facing, fix our NHS and restore pride in every part of our great country. Vote Labour on Thursday 7 May.