Britain’s new Labour government unveiled its first package of proposed legislation on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to deliver on his promise to rebuild the country.
The King’s Speech – which is delivered by the monarch but written by government ministers – opens a new session of Parliament.
Some of the major policy schemes of the Government are given below:
Planning reform
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to increase the number of homes built each year and simplify the process for approving major infrastructure projects by reducing the time taken to obtain planning permission.
The government indicated that the Planning Bill would limit the ability of local people to block new development projects, and said it would involve “democratic involvement in how homes and infrastructure are built, not whether they will be built.”
workers rights
The Employment Rights Bill will ban companies from imposing zero-hours contracts, outlaw fire-and-rehire tactics, and strengthen workers’ rights by providing all workers with access to parental leave, sickness allowance, and protection from unfair dismissal.
The bill would also make it illegal to fire a woman who gives birth to a child six months after returning to work, except in special circumstances, and make flexible working the default when people start jobs.
economic security
The Budget Responsibility Bill would guarantee that any government making significant changes to taxes and spending would be subject to independent forecasting by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the official budget watchdog.
It aims to avoid a repeat of former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ 2022 mini-budget, a $50 billion unpaid tax cut package that was introduced without independent assessment, sending financial markets into a tailspin.
Illegal migration
The government wants to pass a new border security bill that will give law enforcement agencies counter-terrorism powers so they can target gangs who bring thousands of people into the UK in small boats each year.
This would include greater stop and search powers for border officers and tougher penalties for advertising human smuggling. Labour scrapped the previous Conservative government’s plan to send some refugees to Rwanda.
Housing Reform
Tenants would be able to challenge unfair rent increases. The Tenants’ Bill of Rights would end no-fault evictions, end “rent bidding wars”, and make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against families with children or those receiving benefits.
Financial Regulation
The government’s new finance bill will seek to encourage the consolidation of small pension schemes, improve the process for rescuing failed banks by expanding the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and give new powers to a new audit regulator.
Climate and energy
The government will pass legislation to establish GB Energy, the centrepiece of its green energy plans, backed by 8.3 billion pounds ($11 billion) to co-invest in leading technologies and support capital-intensive projects.
railway
It would bring the rail franchise back into government control when private contracts expire. It would seek to boost east-to-west connectivity in northern England, but would not restart the high-speed railway between Birmingham and Manchester.
constitutional reform
Under plans to reform the House of Lords, the upper house of parliament, it would end the right of hereditary peers – passed down through family lineages indefinitely and without election – to sit and vote. Of the more than 800 members, 92 are hereditary peers.
Crimes and penalties
The new Crime and Policing Bill will ban so-called “ninja swords”, crack down on shoplifting and crackdown on those involved in harassment and drinking in public places.
Cyber security
The Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill would update UK regulation in a similar way to the EU’s proposed Cyber Resilience Act, forcing companies to report incidents, including ransomware incidents, to give more data on cyberattacks.
transfer
The English devolution bill would give mayors and other local leaders a greater say over economic decisions, including transport and jobs.
Power in the UK is more centralised than in other major economies and many funding decisions are taken in London. The government says further devolution will help raise productivity and bring more balanced economic growth.
Conversion Therapy
It plans to ban so-called conversion therapy, which targets gay, bisexual and transgender people with the aim of changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
It says any ban should not include legitimate psychological support for people exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity. The previous Conservative government had sought to introduce similar legislation.
Smoking
The government is planning to gradually phase out the sale of cigarettes, as previously announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Children born on or after January 1, 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes under the planned bill.
private schools
The Labor Party plans to end some tax breaks for fee-paying schools and use the money to raise standards in government schools.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)