The new Labour government will unveil more than 35 bills during the first King’s Speech of its tenure, with legislation expected on spending rules, transport, English devolution, clean energy, border security and planning reform.
Wednesday’s speech — the first Speech from the Throne under a Labour government in 14 years — is expected to feature a heavy emphasis on securing economic growth, the first of Keir Starmer’s five “missions for national renewal”.
Speaking ahead of the King’s Speech, the prime minister declared that the time has come to “take the brakes off Britain” and that the new legislative proposals will “lay the foundations of real change”.
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“Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain”, Starmer said. “For too long people have been held back, their paths determined by where they came from — not their talents and hard work.”
Trailing the most significant moment of Keir Starmer’s premiership so far, No 10 Downing Street said the package of bills will focus on growing the economy through better transport, more jobs and the building of houses and infrastructure.
As part of the proposals, No 10 confirmed new legislation will be introduced to enable rail services to be brought into public ownership once their contracts expire or if operators are deemed to have failed to deliver on their commitments.
On top of this, the government is expected to introduce legislation to establish a new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), to focus on improving services for passengers with simplified fares, discounts, and ticket types.
The King’s Speech is also expected to feature a Better Buses Bill to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitment to reform the bus system, empowering local leaders to franchise local bus services and lift the restriction on new publicly owned bus operators.
Alongside transport, a plan to get Britain building, including through planning reform, is expected to be central to the King’s Speech.
The King’s Speech is also expected to unveil the English Devolution Bill, with Keir Starmer having met England’s regional mayors in one of his first official acts as prime minister last week.
No 10 suggested the proposed legislation will help kickstart a new “devolution revolution”, with more powers transferred out of Westminster and into the hands of local people.
This will come alongside a bill to strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), as trailed earlier this week. Downing Street has said the proposals, set to be unveiled on Wednesday, will ensure significant fiscal announcements are properly scrutinised, meaning taxpayers’ money is respected.
More detail is also expected on the government’s plans to enact announcements made earlier this week, including:
- The launch of a National Wealth Fund
- A new Mission Control tasked with ensuring the UK reaches clean power by 2030
- The recruitment of a new Border Security Command
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Commenting ahead of the speech, 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.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “Years of chaos under the Conservatives have left us with a stagnant economy and health services in a state of crisis. Millions of people are stuck on NHS waiting lists and struggling to get the care they need to return to work.
“Fixing the NHS and care would put rocket boosters under economic growth in our country.
“The Liberal Democrats will keep campaigning for our policies to tackle the health and care crisis and get our economy back on track. That is what millions of people voted for at the General Election, we will not let them down.”
Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said: “People in Scotland voted for significant and substantial change at Westminster — and that promise of change must now be honoured, not broken, by the Labour government.
“The decision over whether to scrap the two child cap is an early and important litmus test of whether the Labour government is capable of delivering the full scale change people in Scotland want to see – or whether it will impose the same damaging cuts and failed policies as the Tories.
“Eradicating child poverty is a priority for people in Scotland – and scrapping the two child cap is the bare minimum required. There is still time for Keir Starmer to see sense. If he fails, he will be making the political choice to push thousands of Scottish children into poverty. That is inexcusable.
“The SNP will bring forward an amendment to abolish the two child cap and tackle child poverty. It will then be up to Labour MPs in Scotland to vote for it – or take responsibility for the child poverty they will cause if it stays in place.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on X/Twitter here.
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest election news and analysis.
