Jacinda Ardern’s ambitious reform agenda in New Zealand: Three lessons for Keir Starmer

Planning reforms to ‘get Britain building again’. The delivery of 700,000 urgent dental appointments. A campaign to recruit 6,500 teachers. And a 136-page manifesto setting out big plans on public services, decarbonisation, workers’ rights and housebuilding with more modest tax and spending measures. The Starmer administration has been quick to signal that it is serious about delivery.

This mix of progressivism and pragmatism mirrors Jacinda Ardern’s Labour government in New Zealand, which I witnessed first-hand as a public servant from 2017 to 2024. Ardern is widely celebrated for her effective handling of crises from the Christchurch mosque shooting, the White Island/Whakaari eruption and of course the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the challenges her government faced in delivering domestic results are less well-known, epitomised by the failure of the flagship KiwiBuild policy amid a housing crisis. Promising 100,000 new homes in 10 years, the initiative was scrapped in 2019 after producing only around 2,300.  ¹⁹ https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-04-2024/is-kiwibuild-finally-on-its-last-legs  Even significant reforms in health, education and employment relations were short-lived. In late 2023, Labour lost its majority and was replaced by a National-led coalition government, which swiftly repealed or shelved many of Labour’s key reforms, leaving only minor policies to survive.

Fortunately for Starmer, his government starts with some advantages that Ardern’s lacked – a large majority,  ²⁰ During its first term, the Labour government in New Zealand was in coalition with the Nationalist New Zealand First party. It also had a confidence and supply agreement with the Green Party.  one of the most experienced and prepared cabinets in recent political history and a five-year term compared to New Zealand’s much shorter three-year parliamentary terms. But the two governments are remarkably similar in what they aim to achieve and how they intend to govern, with both leaders projecting competence, reliability and a commitment to building consensus to deliver lasting impact. So how can Starmer’s government ensure the ‘change’ that he has promised the country truly sticks?

Be ruthless about priorities  

In New Zealand, Ardern’s clear messaging during the pandemic was not matched with clear objectives for the government’s six years in office. The government tried many things at once – pushing through major reforms and machinery of government changes in nearly every single policy area – and did not always make the hard choices it needed to between what could feasibly be achieved with the time and capacity it had available, especially given the demands placed on it by the COVID-19 response. Ardern admitted in late 2022  ²¹ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/480550/pm-jacinda-ardern-on-plans-for-next-year-making-sure-the-economy-is-our-priority  that the government had “too much on its plate”  and a much-needed prioritisation exercise ultimately came too late when she handed the reins to her deputy, Chris Hipkins, a few months later. He swiftly shelved large parts of the government agenda to focus on a more manageable set of priorities.  

In the UK, the prime minister has stated that the government’s five missions will drive efforts to rebuild Britain. However, these missions include vague aspirations such as reducing food prices and making housing more affordable, alongside smaller policies lacking clear timelines for delivery. This week’s King’s Speech has sent a clearer message about the government’s priorities, which is promising. It will help civil servants maintain a strategic focus and manage trade-offs more effectively. But 40 bills in a single parliamentary session is still a lot, and some may go off course. Urgent demands and crises could also delay the legislative agenda, as Ardern experienced in her early years. Therefore, Starmer must prioritise ruthlessly and regularly to avoid the trap of trying to do too much too soon.  

Establish a clear purpose for reviews and advisory groups and have the political will to follow through

Ardern’s government relied heavily on the model of ‘working groups’ to build consensus and find pragmatic solutions that would endure changes in administration. In its first year alone, the government convened around 38 working groups, ministerial advisory groups and inquiries in high-profile areas such as tax, welfare, law and order, health and employment.  ²² National criticises Government working groups – Te Ao Māori News (teaonews.co.nz)  These groups brought together experts, stakeholders and representatives from various sectors to discuss key policy choices, resolve disputes and reach compromises.

While the Institute has long argued for bringing in external expertise to tackle complex issues, the simultaneous demands for engagement in multiple working groups and reviews proved challenging for those outside of government. Clarity around the purpose of these groups and how their recommendations would be acted upon was also sometimes lacking. For instance, significant resources and efforts were invested in tripartite working groups to discuss extensive reforms in employment relations, but these often failed to produce a stable political consensus, as seen in the repeal of Fair Pay Agreements.  ²³ These were sector-wide collective bargaining agreements that set minimum employment standards across entire industries or occupations – a model the government wants to introduce here.  In other areas, there was a lack of political will to make the difficult decisions necessary to implement the groups' recommendations, particularly in areas such as tax and welfare, leading to disillusionment and disengagement among some groups regarding the purpose and value of reviews.  

This is a crucial lesson. Labour’s manifesto mentions at least 16 different reviews, and the chancellor has announced the formation of an economic advisory council to guide Labour’s ‘growth’ mission. To ensure these initiatives are impactful, the government must clarify their purpose and maintain a sharp focus – for example, on whether they are intended to merely define the ‘problems’ or to build consensus around policy responses. The government must also be prepared to make the tough decisions and trade-offs required to act on their recommendations so that the time, resources and effort expended on different groups and reviews pays off with tangible results for the public.  

Support the civil service to build the capability it needs to deliver

The pace and scale of Ardern’s reform agenda demanded expertise and resources that tested the capacities of government departments. But despite the challenges her government faced in delivering domestic results, Ardern can rightly point to the progress made to enhance the core public service’s capability, especially in addressing complex, cross-cutting challenges. The most notable achievement was the passage of the Public Service Act 2020, a once-in-a-generation reform that strengthened the public service’s foundation, codified the long-term stewardship responsibilities of departmental chief executives, and introduced new collaborative models, such as interdepartmental boards and "joint ventures."  ²⁴ https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0040/latest/LMS106159.html  Although these reforms are still relatively new, they represent crucial steps toward creating a more agile, capable, and citizen-focused public service.

This enduring legacy has gone largely unnoticed by the public, but Starmer would be wise to learn from it. In the UK, similarly ambitious reforms require a capable, well-resourced and agile civil service, which has faced increasing strain in recent years. To achieve change, the government must translate supportive rhetoric into concrete action that strengthens the civil service to better deliver on its agenda. The Institute has proposed a new statutory role for the civil service enshrining the institution’s purpose, remit and responsibilities in legislation. This resembles the reforms in New Zealand and would bolster the ability of the civil service to meet current, and future challenges.

The new government's challenge is both to implement its ambitious reform agenda and, crucially, ensure it is sustained over the long term. Studying Jacinda Ardern's experience would be a wise move for Keir Starmer and his team.