King’s Speech – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Fraser of Allander Institute: the King’s Speech and the two-child benefit cap

As we highlighted in last week’s blog, we recently saw the state opening of Parliament at Westminster which allowed the new UK Government to set out their legislative programme (write MAIRI SPOWAGE and HANNAH RANDOLPH of Fraser of Allander Institute).

Along with a huge amount of pomp, ceremony and grand tradition, this is the first formal expression we have had of how the Labour manifesto will be turned into government policy and action.

The King’s Speech is focussed on legislative changes, so other areas where policy changes are likely be taken forward without legislative changes (perhaps through public service reforms, or simply changes in spending, such as health) always feature less prominently.

However, there were plenty of bills to examine – 40 bills were presented by the speech on 17^th July. This is the highest number of bills to be presented in a monarch’s speech for almost 20 years.

Which of these bills are relevant to Scotland?

The patchwork of devolution in the UK means that the extent to which these bills are relevant for Scotland is a complex picture. The chart below shows the spread, which demonstrates that in theory 22 of the bills are likely to impact upon legislation in Scotland.

Chart: Number of bills in the King’s Speech by territorial reach

Source: UKG

Digging into the detail of each of these bills shows that the impact on Scotland gets more complicated.

One of the UK wide bills is the National Wealth Fund, which will bring together some existing initiatives such as the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank, as well as additional capitalisation of £7.3 billion over the course of the next parliament. As well as this additional public investment, the idea of bringing these different organisations together is to make the business support landscape simpler for businesses, to “create a single coherent offer for businesses and a compelling proposition for investors”.

Leaving aside the extent to which this level of extra investment will move the dial on investment overall, there is also a question whether this is going to actually simplify things for businesses in Scotland. Economic development is devolved, and we have a number of bodies that provide potential support, including the Scottish National Investment Bank and the three Enterprise Agencies.

A common complaint from businesses, particularly those with limited capacity, is the complex landscape for business support. Therefore it will be interesting to see the cross-governmental working (if any) on this to simplify things for businesses right across the UK.

Another key measure is on planning. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill proposed in the King’s speech “is expected to extend and apply to England and Wales. Some measures may also extend and apply to Scotland”. It is not clear from the explanatory notes to the King’s speech what this will actually mean for Scotland, although there is some mention of ensuring grid connections are available in a timely fashion (which would be a reserved issue in the energy infrastructure space) may well be the relevant point.

Again, the devil will be in the detail of the bill, and the extent of cross-governmental working, for us to understand how this could change things for businesses operating in Scotland.

The Crown Estates Bill does not apply to Scotland because it is devolved: but our understanding from the nots to the Bill that the provisions in the Bill for England, Wales and NI are essentially bringing in the same fiscal flexibilities that exist for the Crown Estate in Scotland.

The Hillsborough Law is the one which currently has an indeterminate territorial reach, and is one of the more vague bills included in the list of 40. This will “place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities” to “address the unacceptable defensive culture prevalent across too much of the public sector – highlighted by recent reports such as Bishop James Jones’s report into the experiences of the Hillsborough families and the recent Infected Blood Inquiry report”. This is fulfilling a manifesto commitment, but a concern could be that legislation to change culture may be ineffectual. This is in no way to belittle the catastrophic failures in the system that happened in these instances, just a question over whether this kind of law is the way to address it.

These are a few examples, but the detail of all the bills and crucially how they are implemented will be important to understand the actual impact on Scottish law, businesses and citizens.

Two child benefit limit causes first Labour rebellion

This week, we also saw the vote on the King’s speech – the first vote for the Labour Government, and, perhaps predictably given the size of their majority, the first rebellion from a few backbenchers.

The SNP laid a motion to amend the king’s speech to include the abolition of the two-child benefit limit. The amendment was voted down, but removing the two-child limit is now being widely debated particularly because seven Labour MPs voted for the amendment and have had the whip withdrawn. More broadly, it has drawn attention to what the new Labour government’s plans for an anti-poverty strategy might be.

The two-child limit applies to households with three or more children receiving Universal Credit or tax credits. Both give households additional amounts for the first and second child, but no further benefits or credits for the third or subsequent children. It does not impact on Child Benefit.

The two-child limit was introduced in 2017 and applies to any child born after 6 April 2017. As time goes on and a greater proportion of children fall into that category, more families are affected.

HMRC and DWP report that 440,000 households were affected as of April 2024, of which 26,000 are in Scotland.

Estimates from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show that the two-child limit currently costs affected households £3,400 per year, per child on average. This is likely one driver for a widening gap in poverty rates for families with one or two children versus those with more.

The Scottish Government has introduced a new benefit, the Scottish Child Payment, as part of their efforts to reduce child poverty. To what extent does the Scottish Child Payment mitigate the effects of the two-child limit in Scotland?

The Scottish Child Payment (SCP) is a £26.70 per week, per child under 16 benefit available to households in receipt of qualifying benefits like Universal Credit. SCP does not restrict the number of children in a household who can receive the benefit, nor does it have a lower amount for second and subsequent children.

SCP is therefore likely to mitigate the effect of the two-child limit on households in Scotland to some extent. Households receive about £1,400 per year for each eligible child from SCP, which does partially offset the £3,400 they might be able to claim for third and subsequent children in the absence of the two-child limit.

Chart 2: Child poverty rate by number of children in the household, Scotland

Source: Scottish Government and Department for Work and Pensions
Notes: Child poverty rates are averaged over three years of Family Resources Survey data. For the last three years, figures represent a two-year average excluding the 2020-21 data due to data collection issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The mitigation of SCP, plus other factors, may contribute to lower gaps between child poverty among children in households with 3+ children versus in households with fewer children (see chart).

The gap between poverty for children by family size has grown since about 2012-15 for the UK as a whole. Just over one in five (22%) of children in households with only one or two children were in poverty in 2020-23, compared to nearly one in two (44%) of children in households with more children.

In Scotland, however, there is slightly less of a gap, albeit one that has grown more in the last couple of years. 19% of children in households with 1-2 children live in poverty, compared to 38% of children in households with more children. Because some of the effects of the two-child limit are mitigated by SCP, removing the two-child limit might have less of an effect in Scotland than in the rest of the UK – but it would still have an impact.

The Scottish Government has estimated that about 10,000 children would be taken out of poverty in Scotland if the two-child limit were removed, many in households with 3+ children.

For context, that would reduce child poverty in Scotland by about 1pp. That’s on top of an estimated 60,000 kept out of poverty by the SCP in 2024-25.

What next for the two-child limit?

The Labour Leadership are sticking to the manifesto on which they were only recently elected: that they would like to remove the two-child limit in time, but that they do not think they are in a position to remove it just now due to the public finances.

The cost is estimated at about £3.4b per year in the long run, about 3% of the working-age benefit budget. So while fiscal responsibility is to be lauded, this would be a fairly minor policy change in fiscal terms in exchange for progress on child poverty at the UK level.

The cost of these increased benefits for households in Scotland would still fall on the UK Government rather than the Scottish Government, since Universal Credit and tax credits are both reserved.

Labour have also pointed out that removing the two-child limit is not a silver bullet, and that they want to take the time to develop a coherent anti-poverty strategy across different policy areas.

As usual, we hope that such a plan would be evidence-based. There may also be opportunities to learn from devolved policies like SCP that should be taken up by the new UK Government.

King’s Speech reaction

Speaking after the King’s Speech, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “This is a King’s Speech which will deliver the change our country needs. It will deliver for all four nations of the UK and all four corners of Scotland.

“We have a bold and ambitious legislative programme which will ensure we deliver on our mandate.

“Our plans will deliver growth and jobs for our economy. It will establish GB Energy, a publicly owned energy generation company which will create jobs and cut bills for good, and establish a National Wealth Fund to invest in the industries and jobs of the future.

“The King’s Speech also delivers the biggest transfer of power towards working people in a generation, with new rights on sick pay and redundancy, and better pay. It will ban exploitative zero hour contracts and increase the minimum wage to a real living wage. A better deal for working people, with less insecurity and more money in their pockets, is the first step towards reducing poverty in Scotland and across the UK.

“We have been clear that we want to reset our relationship with the Scottish Government, and to work together to deliver better outcomes for people.

“Our rail ownership bill will ensure that ScotRail is kept in public hands, and we want to work with the Scottish Government to pass laws that will reduce the availability of addictive vapes to young people.

“We promised change. This King’s speech demonstrates we are rolling up our sleeves and delivering that change.”

Bills which will apply in Scotland:

Renters Rights Bill [only in respect of discrimination against tenants on benefits or with children]
National Wealth Fund Bill
Pensions Schemes Bill
Planning and Infrastructure Bill [some measures]
Employment Rights Bill
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill
Railways Bill
Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill
Product Safety and Metrology Bill
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
Digital Information and Smart Data Bill
Draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill
Great British Energy Bill
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue support Mechanism) Bill
Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill [Reintroduced]
Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill
Tobacco and Vapes Bill [Reintroduced]
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill
Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill
Budget Responsibility Bill
Hillsborough Law [Public Candour] Bill [TBC – territorial extent to be determined]

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has reiterated the Scottish Government’s intention to work collaboratively with the UK Government to deliver on shared ambitions for Scotland.

Ms Forbes commented on the King’s Speech: ““The Prime Minister has said he wants to reset the relationship with the Scottish Government, respect the devolution settlement and work constructively together.

“I am pleased to see this approach reflected in the King’s Speech, and we will support the opportunities it presents to improve the lives of people in Scotland.

“I look forward to early and meaningful engagement on UK Bills, including the New Deal for Working People. We have been clear in our opposition to the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security.

“We also welcome the Tobacco and Vapes Bill being taken forward. This is an important step forward in public health, and a four-nations approach will offer more certainty for businesses and consistency for consumers.

“The priorities of the Scottish Government for the year ahead will be announced in the First Minister’s Programme for Government, when he will set out how we will deliver for communities right across the country.”

Commenting on the King’s Speech, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer: “Pomp and pageantry aside, this is a more progressive programme for government than we’ve seen after 14 years of Tory mismanagement.

“The New Deal for Working People can be the start of a new chapter for workers. If enacted fully, the New Deal gives rights, security and respect to working people throughout the UK. It must now be delivered in full without delay. It is right this is accompanied by a new industrial strategy council.

“We look forward to working with the UK Government to ensure this body is representative and impactful, creating a minimum floor of working rights across every nation of the UK. It’s further welcome that the UK Government finally seeks to legislate further to end the scourge of race-based pay discrimination – working people of all nationalities deserve nothing less.

“This will, undoubtedly, be aided if the Labour Government sticks true to its pledge and seeks to revitalise the devolution settlement through the Council of the Nations and Regions.

As part of this, we must see further powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, including powers over employment, migration and more.

The siting of GB Energy in Scotland is very positive. We hope it will become more than an inward investment tool and will develop a strategy for direct public ownership to deliver the infrastructure and supply chain jobs we so desperately need.

“The commitment to bring railways back into public ownership is a long-standing demand of trade unions who have fought against the carnage brought by privatisation.

“Economic growth is a welcome, central tenant of this government’s mission. But that cannot be done through the exploitation of working people. The Prime Minister has a job on his hands to restore standards and investment to public life and public services. With the Scottish Parliament elections just around the corner, we look forward to him delivering on his pledges for workers in Scotland.

Commenting on today’s King’s Speech Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age said: “Today’s King’s Speech outlined the UK Government’s focus on national renewal and it’s important that this renewal reaches the two million older people currently living in poverty across the UK.

“We are pleased to see the UK Government commit to improving private pensions for future older people who are able to save, including better access to small pension pots, but we also need action for the 150,000 pensioners currently living in poverty in Scotland. Ensuring people have enough money to live with dignity in later life is fundamental in a compassionate society and an essential part of social renewal.

“Right now, we need to see action to increase uptake of social security support for older people on a low income. Currently Pension Credit isn’t received by around a third of older people who should be getting it. In the longer term the UK Government should lead a cross-party review to establish what level of income is needed to avoid poverty in later life and ensure everyone is able to reach it. We are also calling on the UK Government to establish a consistent national social tariff for energy.

“The Scottish Government can also act to reduce poverty in later life, a key first step would be announcing a plan to reduce pensioner poverty in the Programme for Government – expected in September.

“Going forward, in both Westminster and Holyrood, it’s essential parliamentarians work towards the aim of making poverty in later life a thing of the past.”

More than 60 leading local government figures and influential academics came together today for the Saving Local Government Finance Summit to reflect on the legislative commitments in the King’s Speech and to deliberate on how the Government plans to carry out its promises for local government, including devolution and planning reform.

Despite optimism in the air, the consensus at the summit was clear: without significant reforms in funding, particularly for social care, local councils cannot maximise their role in delivering the government’s Five Missions. While not in the King’s Speech for immediate legislative attention, reforming local government funding was considered most pressing, particularly to stem the flow of bankruptcies.

Reflecting on the King’s Speech, Dr Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said: “The Government’s early local government commitments are positive, and the sector welcomes multi-year funding settlements, the conclusion of competitive bid funding and a more collaborative approach from the new government.

“However, the elephant in the room is what’s not being said: local government funding reform. WIth half of all councils at risk of going bust in the next parliament, now is the time to provide sustainable funding and stem the flow of bankrupt boroughs.”

In reaction to the devolution commitments, Dr Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said: “The regions must have a say in how devolution is rolled out with bespoke solutions available: what works for Cumbria may not for Chingford.

“And while much attention has been on the role of metro mayors, especially with the introduction of the new council of nations and regions, it is essential that central government listens to other democratically elected local leaders.

“Underpinning any devolution roll-out is trust. Central government needs to trust its local counterpart to do its job. Devolution should also help councils win back the trust of the people they serve so that they can build consensus for difficult and contentious decisions that are increasingly necessary.”

On planning reform, Dr Carr-West said: “The briefings before today have pulled in different directions.

“On the one hand, there were those saying the government will liberate councils, by streamlining the planning process, empowering and working together with local leaders to build new homes where local communities want them.

“On the other hand, there were those who claimed the government aimed to bind councils to unachievable targets imposed by the centre.

“As it is, the details we have now are still limited and we’ll need to see – and contribute to – how the plans develop. There is a huge opportunity here to open up planning and expand local growth.”

Specifically on social care, Dr Carr-West said: “The funding of social care is a perennial thorn in the side for every government, central and local.

“This is an issue that demands a solution, and although there was no mention of legislative reform in the King’s Speech, the proposed Royal Commission leaves a vital opportunity to reconsider how social care is funded with local government, service providers, and service users as central to the consultation.”

‘Our government of service’

STARMER LAYS OUT HIS PLANS TO DELIVER CHANGE FOR THE COUNTRY

This government has been elected to deliver nothing less than national renewal, to stop the chaos of the past fourteen years, to turn the page on the era of politics as performance, to return it to public service and start the work of rebuilding our country.

Because people are crying out for change, and that’s what this government of service will deliver through actions, not words.

That is why today I am setting out our plan for change, to turn the page and rebuild our country so that it’s back in the service of working people. That is what our mission-driven government will be about, focused on ambitious goals bringing together the best of our country.

We’re getting on with the job right away. Today we’re setting out new laws that will put manifesto commitments into action – improving living standards for working people and fixing the foundations of the country so that every part of the UK is supported to drive economic growth.

Growth starts with economic stability, which is why we are introducing a budget responsibility bill which will make sure that taxpayers’ money is respected.

From that solid foundation we can release the brakes on growth and wealth creation.

We will reform the planning laws, a choice ignored for fourteen years, to build the homes and infrastructure Britain needs. I know how important this is.

Our pebble-dashed semi provided a secure foundation that my parents were able to build their life on. I want everyone to have that security, including those renting, which is why we are also bringing forward tough new protections for renters.

It’s not just security at home that matters, but security at work. That’s why we will level-up rights at work to deliver security and dignity for working people. It’s what they deserve.

Alongside that, we’ll push forward devolution to the cities, regions and councils of England to deliver quality jobs and opportunities in every corner of this country. We’ll do that by putting local decision-makers in charge, moving power away from Westminster and back to those with skin in the game, who know their communities best.

We’ll also ensure people in those communities feel safe and secure. That means strengthening community policing by giving the police greater powers to deal with antisocial behaviour, strengthen support for victims, and bring forward plans to halve violence against women and girls.

We won’t stop there. I was the first in my family to go to university, and I remember the pride on my mum and dad’s faces when I graduated. I want every child to have the opportunity I had to succeed.

And no child should feel that they have less of a chance to fulfil their potential because of the circumstances they were born into.

That’s why we will break down the barriers to opportunity that hold so many young people back from living the life they deserve. We’ll also raise standards in schools, with one of our first steps recruiting 6,500 new teachers by ending unfair tax breaks for private schools.

We will also get our health service back on its feet by reducing waiting times, and bring the Mental Health Act into the twenty first century to tackle the mental health crisis.

This is a programme that will deliver the change that so many across the country are crying out for, one that is driven forward by this government of service.

Through this work, we will stop the chaos, fix our foundations, and take the brakes off Britain by returning politics to serious government.

That is the path to national renewal and rebuilding our country, and we take another step forward today.

Because people are crying out for change, and that’s what this government of service will deliver through actions, not words.

Growth starts with economic stability, which is why we are introducing a budget responsibility bill which will make sure that taxpayers’ money is respected.

From that solid foundation we can release the brakes on growth and wealth creation.

We will reform the planning laws, a choice ignored for fourteen years, to build the homes and infrastructure Britain needs. I know how important this is.

It’s not just security at home that matters, but security at work. That’s why we will level-up rights at work to deliver security and dignity for working people. It’s what they deserve.

And no child should feel that they have less of a chance to fulfil their potential because of the circumstances they were born into.

We will also get our health service back on its feet by reducing waiting times, and bring the Mental Health Act into the twenty first century to tackle the mental health crisis.

This is a programme that will deliver the change that so many across the country are crying out for, one that is driven forward by this government of service.

Through this work, we will stop the chaos, fix our foundations, and take the brakes off Britain by returning politics to serious government.

That is the path to national renewal and rebuilding our country, and we take another step forward today.

Published 17 July 2024

King’s Speech to unlock growth and “take the brakes off Britain”

Improving living standards for working people through economic growth will be the central focus of new laws set to be unveiled by His Majesty The King today

King’s Speech set to unveil a raft of bills to unlock growth and improve living standards for working people
Ambitious legislative agenda will drive forward delivery of the government’s first steps and missions to rebuild Britain
New laws deliver manifesto commitments to provide better transport, more jobs and turbocharge building of houses and infrastructure

Improving living standards for working people through economic growth will be the central focus of new laws set to be unveiled by His Majesty The King today [Wednesday 17 July].

In the first State Opening of Parliament under this government, The King’s Speech is expected to unveil over 35 bills and draft bills which will support delivery of the government’s first steps and missions to rebuild Britain.

The package of bills will focus on growing the economy through better transport, more jobs and turbocharging building of houses and infrastructure – helping to make every part of the country better off.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain. For too long people have been held back, their paths determined by where they came from – not their talents and hard work.

“I am determined to create wealth for people up and down the country. It is the only way our country can progress, and my government is focussed on supporting that aspiration.

“Today’s new laws will take back control and lay the foundations of real change that this country is crying out for, creating wealth in every community and making people better off – supporting their ambitions, hopes and dreams.”

Transport

New legislation will be introduced to create a simplified rail system by bringing rail services into public ownership once their contracts expire or if operators fail to deliver on their commitments. This approach will avoid the burden falling on taxpayers to cough up for compensation to operators for taking services into public ownership.

Transferring operations to the public sector will save the taxpayer millions of pounds currently paid out in fees to private operators each year. It will end the fragmentation of our railways, establishing a more efficient and reliable rail service for passengers – helping to get people to work on time and boosting productivity.

The government will also introduce legislation to establish a new public body, Great British Railways (GBR) which will be focused on improving services and creating better value for money for passengers.

With Great British Railways, the fares and ticketing system will see simplified fares, discounts, and ticket types. Once established, the new body will also ensure that ticketing innovations like automatic compensation, digital pay-as-you-go and digital season ticketing are rolled out across the whole network.  

The King’s Speech is also expected to feature a Better Buses Bill to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to reform the bus system by delivering new powers for local leaders to franchise local bus services and to lift the restriction on new publicly owned bus operators.

This will help bring an end to the postcode lottery of bus services and will give local communities throughout England the power to take back control of their bus services. It will mean local leaders can decide to introduce better bus networks, at pace, which reflect the needs of the local communities that rely on them.

Building

Getting Britain to build more housing and infrastructure, including through planning reform, will also be central to the Government’s plans to strengthen economic growth.

The Bill will speed up and streamline the planning process to build more homes of all tenures and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

By enabling democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built – the major brakes on the planning system will be addressed to support sustainable growth.

Empowering local communities

As part of the government’s plans to empower local leaders to deliver change for their communities, the King’s Speech is also expected to unveil the English Devolution Bill. This will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to transfer power into local communities and recognising the vital role local leaders play in supporting growth by establishing local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities and households across the country.

The speech will build on the first fortnight of the government’s mission of national renewal.

From the launch of a National Wealth Fund to strengthen UK investment, to a new Mission Control tasked with turbocharging the UK to clean power by 2030, to opening the recruitment of a new Border Security Command, and the Deputy Prime Minister’s pledge to kickstart a new devolution revolution to transfer more powers out of Westminster and into the hands of local people – the Government is hitting the ground running and wasting no time in its work to change the country.

What is the King’s Speech and what does it mean for me?

All you need to know about the State Opening of Parliament

The King’s Speech is a speech written by the government and delivered by the Monarch at the State Opening of Parliament.

It marks the beginning of a new parliamentary year, or session, and is an opportunity for the government to set out its legislative agenda for the coming months.

In the speech, the government will typically set out bills which it intends to introduce to Parliament in the session ahead, as well as other policy priorities which do not require legislation.

When is the State Opening of Parliament?

The State Opening of Parliament takes place on the first day of a new parliamentary session.

Each parliamentary session begins with the State Opening of Parliament and runs for around 12 months.

Sessions are not a specified length, but there are normally five sessions in each Parliament. This means there are typically five sessions between each general election. A new parliamentary session will begin after every general election.

When a parliamentary session comes to an end the House is prorogued, which means the parliamentary year has formally ended until the next State Opening of Parliament.

What happens during the State Opening of Parliament?

The State Opening of Parliament begins with the Monarch’s procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster.

The Monarch arrives at the Sovereign’s Entrance to Parliament and subsequently leads the Royal Procession to the chamber of the House of Lords.

A senior officer in the House of Lords known as Black Rod will then summon members of the House of Commons into the Lord’s Chamber to listen to the speech.

Before entering the Commons chamber, the door is shut in Black Rod’s face and the official will strike the door three times before it is opened. This practice dates back to the Civil War and symbolises the Commons’ independence from the monarchy.

When the Monarch leaves the chamber, a new parliamentary session begins.

Members of both the House of Commons and House of Lords will then debate the content of the speech for a number of days before the speech is voted on.

Did you know?

Traditions around the Monarch’s speech and the State Opening of Parliament can be traced back to the 16th century.

Before the Monarch arrives, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives to commemorate Guy Fawkes’s gunpowder plot of 1605.

The custom of Black Rod banging on the door of the Commons dates back to 1642, when Charles I tried to arrest five MPs, and symbolises the right of the Commons to exclude royal messengers.

The Imperial State Crown has 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies.

King’s Speech will put growth at the heart of Labour’s legislative agenda

Starmer prepares for The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17 July

New laws will prioritise growth, the Government’s overarching mission for the year ahead
Legislative programme will support delivery of the Government’s first steps and missions to rebuild Britain
Focus on improving the prosperity of the country and living standards of working people

The Government will use its mandate for change to put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda as it prepares for The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday (17 July).

Departments are working on more than 35 bills to deliver an ambitious parliamentary session that will be built on a bedrock of economic security, to enable growth that will improve the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people.

Legislation will include a bill to enforce tough new spending rules, designed to ensure economic growth, while avoiding the chaos which left families with spiralling bills and wreaked misery on people’s lives.

To ensure nobody can play fast and loose with the public finances ever again, this new bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our work is urgent. There is no time to waste. We are hitting the ground running by bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long-term – and our ambitious, fully costed agenda is the downpayment on that change.

“From energy, to planning, to unbreakable fiscal rules, my government is serious about delivering the stability that is going to turbo charge growth that will create wealth in every corner of the UK.

“The task of national renewal will not be easy, and this is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out at the King’s Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to the lives of working people.”

‘His Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech’ will build on the momentum of the Government’s first week in office which saw the Prime Minister and his ministerial team roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Legislation to enact announcements made this week, including the launch of a National Wealth Fund to drive investment into the UK, to a new Mission Control tasked with turbocharging UK to clean power by 2030, to opening the recruitment of a new border security command, show that the Government is getting on with the job.

The package of bills will focus on growing the economy through ‘turbocharging’ building of houses and infrastructure, better transport, more jobs and securing clean energy – helping to make every part of the country better off.

As part of the Government’s plans to empower regions to deliver change for their communities, new legislation will also help to create wealth in every community and hand the power back to local leaders who know what is best for their areas.

The King’s Speech 2023

TUC announces special Congress to fight Conservative attack on the right to strike

My Lords and members of the House of Commons

It is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by My beloved Mother, The late Queen, that I deliver this, the first King’s Speech in over 70 years.

The impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom. That is why my Government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.

My Ministers’ focus is on increasing economic growth and safeguarding the health and security of the British people for generations to come.

My Government will continue to take action to bring down inflation, to ease the cost of living for families and help businesses fund new jobs and investment.

My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to target by taking responsible decisions on spending and borrowing. These decisions will help household finances, reduce public sector debt, and safeguard the financial security of the country.

Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes. This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households.

Alongside this, my Ministers will seek to attract record levels of investment in renewable energy sources and reform grid connections, building on the United Kingdom’s track-record of decarbonising faster than other G7 economies.

My Government will invest in Network North to deliver faster and more reliable journeys between, and within, the cities and towns of the North and Midlands, prioritising improving the journeys that people make most often.

My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification. Proposals will be implemented to reduce the number of young people studying poor quality university degrees and increase the number undertaking high quality apprenticeships.

My Ministers will take steps to make the economy more competitive, taking advantage of freedoms afforded by the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. A bill will be brought forward to promote trade and investment with economies in the fastest growing region in the world. My Ministers will continue to negotiate trade agreements with dynamic economies, delivering jobs and growth in the United Kingdom.

My Ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles, introduce new competition rules for digital markets, and encourage innovation in technologies such as machine learning. Legislation will be brought forward to support the creative industries and protect public interest journalism. Proposals will be published to reform welfare and support more people into work.

My Government will promote the integrity of the Union and strengthen the social fabric of the United Kingdom.

Working with NHS England, my Government will deliver its plans to cut waiting lists and transform the long-term workforce of the National Health Service. This will include delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the first long-term plan to train the doctors and nurses the country needs, and minimum service levels to prevent strikes from undermining patient safety.

Record levels of investment are expanding and transforming mental health services to ensure more people can access the support they need. My Government will introduce legislation to create a smokefree generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children.

My Ministers will bring forward a bill to reform the housing market by making it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to purchase their freehold and tackling the exploitation of millions of homeowners through punitive service charges. Renters will benefit from stronger security of tenure and better value, while landlords will benefit from reforms to provide certainty that they can regain their properties when needed.

My Government will deliver a long-term plan to regenerate towns and put local people in control of their future. Legislation will be brought forward to safeguard the future of football clubs for the benefit of communities and fans. A bill will be introduced to deal with the scourge of unlicensed pedicabs in London.

My Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten. A bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

My Government will act to keep communities safe from crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and illegal migration.

A bill will be brought forward to ensure tougher sentences for the most serious offenders and increase the confidence of victims. My Ministers will introduce legislation to empower police forces and the criminal justice system to prevent new or complex crimes, such as digital-enabled crime and child sexual abuse, including grooming.

At a time when threats to national security are changing rapidly due to new technology, my Ministers will give the security and intelligence services the powers they need and will strengthen independent judicial oversight. Legislation will be introduced to protect public premises from terrorism in light of the Manchester Arena attack.

My Government will deliver on the Illegal Migration Act passed earlier this year and on international agreements, to stop dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and ensure it is the government, not criminal gangs, who decides who comes to this country.

My Government will continue to champion security around the world, to invest in our gallant Armed Forces and to support veterans to whom so much is owed. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges. This includes the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.

My Government will continue to lead action on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, support developing countries with their energy transition, and hold other countries to their environmental commitments.

The United Kingdom will continue to lead international discussions to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is developed safely.

My Government will host the Global Investment Summit, the European Political Community, and the Energy Conference, leading global conversations on the United Kingdom’s most pressing challenges.

I look forward to welcoming His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee for a State Visit later this month.

My Government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations. My Ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing. My Ministers will put the security of communities and the nation ahead of the rights of those who endanger it. By taking these long-term decisions, my Government will change this country and build a better future.

Members of the House of Commons.

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

My Lords and Member of the House of Commons.

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

“Once in a generation” special Congress to take place on Saturday 9 December at Congress House

TUC announces special Congress to fight Conservative attack on the right to strike

The TUC has announced it will hold a special Congress to discuss the next stage of campaigning against the Conservatives’ anti-strike laws.

The event will take place at Congress House on Saturday 9 December 2023, from 10am-1pm.

The TUC says more details on the special Congress will follow in the coming weeks, including on media accreditation.

It is rare for the TUC to seek to convene the whole trade union movement at a special Congress outside of the TUC’s usual flagship annual event in September.

A special Congress last took place over 40 years ago in 1982, to fight Margaret Thatcher’s anti-union legislation.

The TUC points to exceptional circumstances given the “unprecedented attack on the right to strike”.

New regulations

The announcement comes after the government laid regulations for minimum service levels in rail, the ambulance service and border security.

Ministers have said these new rules will be rushed into force by the end of the year. Ministers are also consulting on rules affecting workers in hospital settings, schools, universities and fire services.

This is despite warnings from unions and employer groups that the plans are unworkable.

The laws will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

TUC research found a massive 1 in 5 workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes (Minimum service levels) Act.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “After 13 long years of Conservative government, nothing works in this country anymore.

“But instead of getting on with fixing the mess they have created, the Conservatives are hellbent on making things worse.

“These new laws represent an unprecedented attack on the right to strike. They are unworkable, undemocratic and almost certainly in breach of international law.

“This is the last thing our crumbling public services or our dedicated frontline workers need – these draconian laws will poison industrial relations and drag out disputes.

“The UK already has some of the most restrictive trade union laws in Europe. Now the Tories want to make it even harder for people to win fair pay and conditions.

“That’s why we are calling this once in a generation special Congress.

“Unions will keep fighting this spiteful legislation. We won’t stop until it is repealed.”

King’s Speech ‘to deliver a brighter future for the country’

New laws ‘to set the country on the right path for the long-term’ will be revealed in next week’s King’s Speech

New laws to ‘set the country on the right path for the long-term’ will be revealed in next week’s King’s Speech.

The Speech will focus on putting in the right laws, where we need them, to safeguard the future prosperity of the United Kingdom, seize economic opportunities and deliver a brighter future.

Ahead of the Autumn Statement later this month, the measures in the King’s Speech will build on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, safeguard our energy independence, ensure the UK is fully securing the benefits of Brexit and build the most competitive and supportive environment for businesses to capitalise on new technologies.

Together they will help ensure our country is more prosperous, more innovative, more secure, and ready to seize the bright future that the British people deserve, the government says.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This will be the first King’s Speech in seventy years and the legislation we will bring forward is part of our plan to build a better future for the next seventy.

“Just as I have done with energy security, net zero, illegal migration and HS2, the King’s Speech will take the long-term decisions to address the challenges this country faces, not the easy way out with short-term gimmicks.

“As we take the necessary steps to halve inflation and reduce debt, we will legislate to grow the economy, by supporting innovative businesses and protecting consumers.

“To make the real change this country needs, we will bring forward bills that strengthen our society, help people feel safer in their own communities and give a sense of pride in the place they call home.”

The King’s Speech will also include a package of measures focused on strengthening our society and helping people to feel safe in their communities and will ‘build on progress to date delivering record numbers of police officers and ensuring perpetrators of anti-social behaviour face swift and more visible justice’.

The Westminster government says this is on top of the existing support to the NHS – ‘meaning those who fall sick will get the care they need. With record funding and backing its long-term workforce plan, we will train more doctors, more nurses, more dentists and more GPs than ever before’.

In addition to setting out the legislative programme, the Tory government says the King’s Speech will reconfirm their commitment to promoting and protecting our national interests.

They say last week’s AI Safety Summit showed how the UK is leading the world to ensure the development of safe AI, and that the AUKUS submarine alliance with partners Australia and the United States continues to strengthen global security and will create jobs for people in the UK.

The State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday follows the delivery of 39 Government bills in the last Parliamentary session, including new laws to stop the boats, grow the economy, support families and deliver on the priorities that matter most to the country.

Seven bills will be carried over to complete their passage in the next session. This includes the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill which will modernise regulation so firms can grow and boost competition in the UK.

Legislation will also deliver a fairer and higher quality private rented sector for both tenants and landlords with the Renters (Reform) Bill helping ensure people live in decent, safe and secure homes.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill and the Economic Activities of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill will ensure the Holocaust and its victims are never forgotten and prevent public bodies from implementing their own politically motivated boycotts of foreign countries.

The Conservative Party has been in government for twelve years …