by Sir Keir Starmer used his first King’s Speech to boost workers’ rights, empower unions and make it easier for tenants to push back against landlords despite his pledge to kick-start economic growth.
The Prime Minister’s legislative plan also confirmed that VAT will be applied to private school fees and kept Rishi Sunak’s phased ban on cigarette sales.
The changes to union laws and worker rules come as Sir Keir vows to prioritize economic growth, and critics are likely to point to the tension between the two aims.
The Labor leader has vowed to reject the “snake oil mistake”, saying his proposed new laws would “fix the foundation of this nation for the long term”.
Sir Keir’s King’s Speech, set out in a 100-page document, was very much in line with his party’s election manifesto, to take rail services into public ownership, ban conversion therapy and loosen planning laws to boost house building.
Some notable entries, however, included giving votes to 16 and 17-year-olds and retiring members of the House of Lords at 80.
Sir Keir used his initial marks to try to draw a line under 14 years of Conservative rule and set the tone for his new Premiership.
Sir Keir said: “My Government will be determined to unite the country in our shared mission of national renewal. We will serve everyone, regardless of how they voted, to fix the foundations of this nation for the long term. The era of politics as performance and self-interest over service is over.
“The fight for confidence is the defining battle of our political era. It is by serving the interests of working people, and by delivering real change that will change lives, that we can begin to restore people’s faith that politics can be a force for good.
“Rebuilding our country will not happen overnight. The challenges we face require determined, patient work and serious solutions, rather than a temptation for the easy answer. The snake oil magic of the canine may seem alluring, but it leads us to the dead end of further division and greater disappointment.”
Banning the sale of cigarettes has made the UK an international outlier in smoking policy, with New Zealand abandoning its pledge earlier this year.
Mr Sunak announced the change at his Conservative Party conference speech last autumn, arguing it would help save lives and ease pressure on the NHS.
The proposal was praised by health professionals but sparked a backlash among some Tory MPs who saw it as illiberal and against the idea of a small Tory state.
The legislation passed an early vote in the House of Representatives but then lost momentum when Mr. Sunak gambled on a general election in July.
Sir Keir’s decision to reintroduce the Bill means it is likely to succeed, given Labour’s large majority in the House of Commons.
This King’s Speech was the first set of legislative proposals set out by a monarch to be written by a Labor prime minister for 15 years, the last to be written by Gordon Brown.
The announcements were widely anticipated, providing vehicles to turn into law the policies that Sir Keir and his frontbenchers have been campaigning for this summer.
A Budget Responsibility Bill will now require the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to consult the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) before major changes to taxation and spending.
A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will make it easier for councils to build new homes against the opposition of any local resident. It is sure to be an early focus of parliamentary battles.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will give new counter-terrorism-style powers to investigate people-smuggling gangs.
A Bill will be introduced to set up Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean power company headquartered in Scotland to fund the transition to Net Zero.
‘The path of national renewal’
Sir Keir said: “This is an agenda that is entirely focused on providing security, opportunity, prosperity and justice for everyone across the country. We will unlock growth and take the brakes off Britain, turning the page on the economic irresponsibility and pervasive inability to face the future we saw under the Conservative government.
“This King’s Speech returns politics to real government, returns government to service, and returns service to the interests of working people. That is the path of national renewal. We begin that journey immediately.”
Mr Sunak, who remains Conservative leader while his successor is being chosen by the party, has promised to hold the new Labor government to account.
Mr Sunak said the night before the announcements: “In the national interest, we will serve as an effective opposition. We will not oppose it for the sake of it, but when we do not agree with what the government is doing, it is our responsibility as the opposition to say so.”
