With the Labour Party gaining a sizeable majority at the General Election, this week marked the opportunity for the new Government to set out its legislative programme for Britain. The King’s Speech marks the state opening of Parliament.
As per tradition, King Charles outlined the Labour Government’s legislative plans during a packed speech which saw 40 bills that Ministers are seeking to pass in the next parliamentary session.
In the run up and indeed throughout the election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer had been quick to emphasise that his Government would place a significant focus on ‘unlocking growth’ in order to “take the brakes off Britain.”
A party which had been in opposition for 14 years took this opportunity to outline what it, and Sir Keir Starmer saw as a programme that would demonstrate a marked shift from what came before it. However, he was quick to point out that there is no quick fix to the economic situation the nation finds itself in.
As expected, there were no surprises in this King’s Speech, with a large proportion of it being trailed heavily in the media. New legislation for Transport would see a return of rail services into public ownership while the Labour Party look to have taken the first step in modernising the House of Lords.
Other big-ticket items included the awaited introduction of Great British Energy and a major shakeup of the UK’s Skills system, with the introduction of legislation to establish Skills England and also, legislation to reform the apprenticeship levy.
Omissions also grabbed headlines, with a bill offering votes for 16 and 17-year olds missing from the King’s Speech. Starmer’s party also faced pressure from former Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn regarding the decision not to scrap the two-child benefit cap and instead establish a new child poverty taskforce.
Notably, however, the Government’s agenda placed an in depth focus on housebuilding, planning and improving nationwide infrastructure. A vow to accelerate the housebuilding and infrastructure projects, in part by altering planning laws, will be a cornerstone off this Government’s agenda and could ultimately be the marker of success it is measured against.
Property: Beth Rogers, Senior Account Manager
Successive governments have failed to deliver on their promises to reform our planning system, stymieing development and fuelling the housing crisis.
Labour’s commitment to fixing some of the challenges that exist within planning, with the introduction of its Planning and Infrastructure Bill, has therefore been widely welcomed by the sector.
Keir Starmer has given his party a lofty target of building 1.5m homes over this next Parliament. Questions have been raised over how achievable this is, but this week’s King’s Speech was a promising start for this new Government.
Interestingly, a focus of the Bill is to ‘improve local planning decision making by modernising planning committees’. Community engagement and the rise of NIMBYSIM has been a significant blocker to development over the last decade and if the Government can successfully address this in the local decision-making process, there should be a notable improvement in the way housing applications are dealt with.
Sustainability: Helen Salvin, Head of Sustainability
The King’s Speech also marked a significant pivot towards sustainability, breaking from the trend of policy rollbacks seen in recent years. The introduction of a wave of new green bills signals the Government’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis head-on. Acknowledging ‘the urgency of the global climate challenge’, this move positions the UK as a proactive leader in the global transition towards sustainability. Such leadership is crucial for enhancing the UK’s influence and credibility in international climate negotiations and fostering global collaboration.
A key highlight of the speech was the emphasis on energy independence, a priority amplified by the geopolitical instability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Government’s focus on unlocking investment for new energy infrastructure is a promising development for the future of the UK’s energy landscape. This initiative is poised to benefit energy providers, renewable businesses, and clean mobility sectors by driving innovation, ensuring a stable energy supply, and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.
Furthermore, the speech recognises the economic opportunities tied to green policies, promoting a forward-thinking approach that will stimulate investment, enhance skills, and secure livelihoods.
In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how commitments around the Deposit Return Scheme and the 2030 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles evolve. These policies could set an even higher bar to aspire towards and help create a robust foundation for a greener, more sustainable future in the UK.