Key takeaways from Labour’s first King’s Speech

Eilidh Whiteford, Senior Advisor at True North, shares her key takeaways from the King’s Speech and highlights everything you need to know about the 39 new Bills announced.

The majority of MPs who crowded into the House of Lords’ lobby yesterday to listen to the King’s Speech are new to parliament and could probably be forgiven for feeling a bit bemused by the arcane pageantry on display. However, the 39 new Bills announced will be keeping them extremely busy over the coming months.

I know from my own experience in 2010 that most new MPs will already have full inboxes, they will be accumulating constituency casework, and they will be inundated with diary requests. I suspect many of them will have been hoping to use the next few weeks to establish themselves, recruiting staff, securing office accommodation, and getting their IT sorted out, but a packed legislative programme means they are going to be spending a lot of time in parliament debating and scrutinising new legislation over the coming months. Some of the vital work of building a profile in their constituencies will have to proceed at a slower pace than many would like.

The new government has put economic growth at the heart of its agenda. After the sluggish economic performance of recent years, fresh impetus is sorely needed. The government knows it needs quick wins, and that a stronger economy will help tackle the underlying drivers of the cost-of-living crisis.

The proposals for a GB Energy company are central to the government’s ambitions, a recognition that renewable energy is an area in which the UK can steal a competitive advantage, not simply in terms of potential generation, but also in terms of the manufacturing supply chain, especially in areas of technological innovation. Although the King’s Speech itself was thin on detail, the accompanying policy memorandum puts some meat on the bones of the proposal, confirming that GB Energy will “develop, own and operate assets, investing in partnership with the private sector”, taking a stake in “projects and supply chains which accelerate technologies of the future” with a view to positioning the UK at the forefront of technology with “major global export potential”. The memo also mentions support for the “reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from energy produced from fossil fuels” – let’s hope this means that carbon capture and storage will at last secure the support it needs from government without further delays.

It has already been announced that GB Energy will be headquartered in Scotland, but the government is still to indicate a preferred location. Clearly, Aberdeen will be making a strong case based on its existing skills base, supply chain, and geography, but there will be competition from other parts of Scotland.

Other announcements that have potentially significant economic impacts include those on planning reform and housing, both of which are aimed at speeding up investment (including in energy infrastructure) and driving growth.

The new UK Government knows that it has to demonstrate positive impact quickly. In the wake of Labour’s stunning election victory, commentators, perhaps somewhat churlishly, have been quick to point out that their landslide was achieved on only 33.9% of the popular vote, and on an exceptionally low turnout of around 60%. It’s hardly a ringing popular endorsement. In the absence of much feel-good factor, Starmer’s government knows it has to deliver tangible results if it is to build electoral confidence and support for the long haul.

The government has published a full briefing note on its legislative commitments. In summary, these include:

Economic Stability and Growth

• Budget Responsibility Bill: To introduce a “fiscal lock” to ensure tax and spend changes are subject to an OBR assessment and to reinforce market credibility and public trust – UK-wide
• National Wealth Fund Bill: To establish a National Wealth Fund on a statutory footing, ensuring investments start immediately and to simplify the UK’s business and investor landscape – UK-wide
• Pension Schemes Bill: To deliver a private pensions market which delivers value and security for those in retirement – GB-wide
• Planning and Infrastructure Bill: To reform the planning system to accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure and housebuilding – England and Wales, with some application in Scotland
• Employment Rights Bill: To deliver the policies in the Plan to Make Work Pay, including a ban on zero-hour contracts and ending fire and rehire practices – GB-wide
• English Devolution Bill: To establish a new framework for English devolution, standardising processes and empower communities – extending to England and Wales and applying in England
• Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill: To begin bringing rail services into public ownership by making appointing public sector rail operators the default positions rather than a last resort – GB-wide
• Better Buses Bill: To reform bus services, allowing local leaders to franchise services and lifting restrictions on the creation of new publicly-owned operators – extending to England and Wales and applying in England
• Railways Bill: To establish Great British Railways to ensure the rail system supports passengers and growth – GB-wide
• Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill: To establish a mechanism to allow the Bank of England to use funds from the banking sector to cover costs associated with resolving a failing bank and achieving its sale in whole or in part – UK-wide
• Arbitration Bill: To reform arbitration law and bolster the UK’s domestic and international arbitration sector – England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Product Safety and Metrology Bill: To support growth and stability in the sector and protect consumers through regulation and reform – UK-wide
• Digital Information and Smart Data Bill: To enable new uses of data to improve public services and reform data standards – UK-wide
• High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill: To repurpose the previous bill to provide regional powers to construct and operate east to west connectivity projects – GB-wide
• Draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill: To replace the Financial Reporting Council with the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority to tackle poor financial reporting – UK-wide

GB Energy and Clean Energy

• Great British Energy Bill: To set up Great British Energy, headquartered in Scotland, and help accelerate investment in renewable energy – UK-wide.
• The Crown Estate Bill: To help the country achieve energy independence and unlock investment in energy infrastructure – England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill: To support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by providing revenue certainty to encourage investment in the construction of SAF plants across the UK – UK-wide
• Water (Special Measures) Bill: To improve water quality and strengthen powers of the water regulator – England and Wales

Borders, Security and Justice

• Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: To enable stronger borders and a properly controlled and managed asylum system – UK-wide
• Crime and Policing Bill: To deliver the government’s mission to halve serious violence over a decade, with action to tackle knife crime and violence against women and girls – England and Wales
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Requires those responsible for certain premises and events to take steps to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack and reduce harm in the event of an attack – UK-wide
• Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill: To strengthen public protections, reduce delays in criminal courts and provide appropriate support to victims – To extend and apply to England and Wales

Tackling Barriers to Opportunity

• Children’s Wellbeing Bill: To remove barriers to opportunity and raise school standards to ensure the school system is fair for every child, regardless of their background – To extend and apply to England and Wales
• Skills England Bill: Transfers functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education ahead of the establishment of Skills England – England and Wales
• Renters’ Rights Bill: Overhaul the private rented sector with a range of measures, including to abolish ‘no fault evictions’, strengthening tenant’ rights and applying a Decent Homes Standard – England and Wales
• Football Governance Bill: To establish an Independent Football Regulator to ensure financial sustainability and give fans a say in how clubs are run – England and Wales
• Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill: To enact remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to leasehold enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackling unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and removing the threat of forfeiture as a means of ensuring compliance with a lease agreement – England and Wales
• Draft Equality (Race and Diversity) Bill: To enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people and to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting. Likely to extend and apply to Great Britain
• Draft Conversion Practices Bill: The draft bill will bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices – England and Wales

Health

• Mental Health Bill: To modernise the mental health act, reduce waiting times, focus on prevention, and improve mental health support provisions – England and Wales
• Tobacco and Vapes Bill: To progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and place limits on the sale and marketing of vapes – while the bill will extend UK-wide, the application of the measures will vary across the UK.

National Security and Service

• Hillsborough Law: To introduce a duty of public candour for public servants which aims to rebuild trust and foster respect
• Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: To establish a statutory armed forces commissioner to act as an independent champion for armed forces and their families
• Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill: To enshrine the full right to equal pay in law and introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for larger employers – UK-wide
• Northern Ireland Legacy Legislation: To support political institutions and Northern Ireland Executive to begin the process of repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
• House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: To reform the House of Lords and remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords
• Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: To strengthen UK defences and ensure that more essential digital services than ever before are protected – UK-wide
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill: To enable the Government to treat the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross in a manner comparable to that of an international organisation
• Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill: To increase the number of female bishops in the House of Lords
• Holocaust Memorial Bill: To ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten and to fight antisemitism.

Dr Eilidh Whiteford is a Senior Advisor at True North. A former politician, Eilidh served as MP for Banff and Buchan for seven years. Prior to politics, Eilidh worked in public affairs, campaigns and communications for high-profile charities. Eilidh has an academic background in Scottish literature, which she taught at Glasgow University.

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