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"I'll remain in the same office by 2027," Sir Keir Starmer declared, noting that if our interview proceeded smoothly, he might welcome us into Downing Street for a follow-up chat next year.

For a PM, there's rarely ever downtime for prime ministers. Shortly before the interview began, Starmer had been in calls with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and working to work out what on earth had occurred in Venezuela, where his key ally, US President Donald Trump, had recently launched a strike against and detained its leader, Nicolás Maduro.

When the discussion, which was far more extended than normal, had finished, Maduro had been charged in New York.

Renewed Energy for the New Year

But as the year starts, Sir Keir seems to have had something of a refresh. Maybe even just some a rest with loved ones at Chequers, the prime minister's official country residence.

This seemed to have put him in improved morale than at the difficult end of 2025, a terrible political year for him.

Yet, are he and his supporters being unrealistic if they believe his fortunes are poised to improve?

Internal Doubts

The harsh reality for the leader is that numerous of his colleagues believe he's not very good at his job. Some of them would rather gamble and remove him this year.

But Sir Keir was dismissing such talk in the interview on Saturday morning.

Multiple times he stated he'd be "evaluated at the general election", arguing no one would take his electoral mandate from him – despite the fact that the most effective strategy of halting Nigel Farage and Reform UK reaching No 10 may be for Labour to switch leader.

"We are in the fight of our generation and I plan to lead us," he declared.

Upcoming Local Votes

The issue for the prime minister is that he will be judged well ahead of then – in a mega set of elections in May throughout the UK. He tried to protest, perhaps too much, that they are concerning who runs local authorities, and who runs the devolved administrations in Holyrood or Cardiff – and not a verdict on Westminster.

Accurate – to some extent. But although he may be reluctant to admit it, No 10 will be judged by those elections too.

Despite this, Sir Keir implying that there were no circumstances under which he would walk away, even if one of his MPs ran against him for the job, should those elections be disastrous for Labour.

An Optimistic Outlook

He attempted to account for his unpopularity by saying the public was naturally anxious for things to change. He sought to convince the interviewer, and the nation, that this year would be different.

The economy would strengthen notwithstanding rising unemployment, he said, when policies the administration implemented during their initial rocky year began to take effect.

• He vowed to close asylum hotels ahead of the current target date of 2029, but he wouldn't put a firm date on that.
• He said too, with the caveat that it was not a done deal, that a peace agreement in Ukraine felt closer now than at any point since Russia's full-scale invasion.
• He stated for the first time that Western allies were now discussing how to integrate US and European forces to provide security for Ukraine – to guard a potential peace.

His core message is that this year the country will "reach a turning point".

Familiar Arguments

The prime minister may have spoken with greater vigour than observed from him for a while – calmer, maybe, with more time to talk.

But despite encountering demands from many directions for a more decisive approach, with greater political vision, more vigour, more pace and more urgency, his points were well-known ones.

Given that he is in considerable political trouble, does he need a new narrative?

No government, and especially not one that has been unpopular for an extended period, has everything its as desired.

The Prime Minister's challenges are not only because governing is difficult, but because he and his team have made mistakes, even in the last few weeks.

Controversies and Dangers

The prime minister expressed regret that he was sorry for saying he was "pleased" to welcome back the Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd El Fattah to the UK following an outcry when past remarks he'd previously made – including calls for Zionists and police to be killed – came to light.

Starmer attributed it to "the system" for not catching what the activist had said before – a fancier way of saying it wasn't his responsibility.

And he is courting clear political perils as the year progresses. His friendship with the US president takes on a new jeopardy after Trump's military action on Venezuela.

Based on years of interviewing Sir Keir Starmer, a ex- human rights lawyer who opposed the war in Iraq, over a long period, the idea he would be at ease with such action seems unlikely.

International Law and Brexit

He stated he was a "lifelong advocate of international law" but the public "just lack the full picture at the moment".

Some called for him to denounce it before we spoke. And the administration is expected to face increased demands to give an definitive view in Parliament in the next few days.

There has also consistently been growing desire in the Labour ranks to reverse or renegotiate some of the results of Brexit.

The PM denies he's pursuing that, but his new specific pledge to align more closely with the EU's single market – the giant economic European market – will probably trigger accusations that he is breaking his pledge never to try to overturn the decisions that followed Brexit.

A commitment to integrate into more of the single market will delight some on his backbenches, but it is simple material for Reform and the Conservatives to