IN marking the first 100 days of the Labour government, it’s worth remembering that no one pretended change was going to be easy.

Comparisons have been made to the incoming Blair government I was part of in 1997.

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But there are great differences.

Firstly, more planning had taken place in preparation for government.

A windfall levy on privatised utilities brought in billions which helped get unemployed people into work.

It also enabled enormous investment in school repairs and building.

This gave a “feelgood” factor not available to the new government.

No one expects Keir Starmer to emulate the Blair of 27 years ago but projecting optimism of our country in the future will be a major plus.

The PM’s statement that he wasn’t seeking popularity has, regrettably, been borne out.

So Labour must ensure their commitment to put booster rockets under economic growth, productivity and fairness come to fruition.

It is the job of this Labour government to once again provide us as a country with the pride and determination to succeed in years to come.