First King’s Speech under Labours: Here are key announcements by Starmer’s government

1. Economic Growth and Fiscal Responsibility:

• The government emphasised creating a “modern, thriving economy” by fostering economic growth and stability. This includes implementing fiscal rules to ensure major tax or spending adjustments are scrutinised by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
• The Fiscal Responsibility Bill aims to subject significant tax or spending adjustments to independent scrutiny by the OBR.

2. National Wealth Fund and Energy Policies:

• The National Wealth Fund Bill aims to attract substantial private sector investments to bolster the UK’s growth. The fund will be supported by state funding and will mobilize additional private capital from sources like pension funds.
• The Great British Energy Bill establishes a publicly-owned energy production company to oversee clean energy projects across the UK, contributing to energy independence and job creation.

3. Railway Nationalisation:

• The Passenger Railway Services Bill will transition train operators into public ownership gradually, aiming to save taxpayer money and reduce emissions.
• The bill will set up a new body, Great British Railways, to oversee track and trains, allowing the government to take on responsibility for running services when existing franchise contracts expire.

4. Housing and Planning:

• The government plans to ban no-fault evictions and extend building safety rules for social tenants to private renters. This includes implementing Awaab’s Law, which addresses housing safety issues.
• Reforms to England’s planning system are highlighted to improve housing development and infrastructure.

5. Employment Rights and Worker Protections:

• The Employment Rights Bill aims to improve workers’ rights by banning exploitative contracts and enhancing sick leave benefits. It also includes measures to restrict zero-hours contracts and scrap qualifying times for unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave rights.
• The bill will extend the right to make equal pay claims under the Equality Act to ethnic minority workers and disabled people.
• Announced plans to reform corporate governance and pension schemes to improve worker wellbeing and employment rights.

6. Health and Education:

• The government aims to improve the National Health Service by reducing waiting times and focusing on patient care. This includes introducing a bill to improve care for people with learning difficulties and changing rules on sectioning people.
• A bill will be introduced to raise educational standards and promote children’s wellbeing. This includes removing the exemption from VAT for private school fees and funding 6,500 new teachers.

7. Crime and Border Security:

• The Crime and Policing Bill will give police new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and introduce a new child exploitation offence to combat “county lines” drug smuggling routes.
• The bill will also make assaulting shopworkers a specific crime and introduce a specific criminal offence to tackle drink spiking.

8. Democracy and Devolution:

• The government plans to transfer more powers to elected mayors in city regions in areas like housing, transport, and planning. This includes introducing the English Devolution Bill to give metro mayors and combined authorities greater powers.
• The speech also hinted at forthcoming reforms to the House of Lords, aiming to phase out remaining hereditary peers.

9. Mental Health:

• A draft law will reportedly aim to improve care for people with learning difficulties and change rules on sectioning people.

10. Tobacco and vapes bill:

• The government plans to fulfil the Conservatives’ abandoned promise by progressively raising the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes, aiming to phase out smoking among the next generation. Additionally, legislation will be introduced to impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vaping products.
• Ministers are also set to enact laws that limit advertising of junk food to children and prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to minors.