Summary of the King’s Speech 2024

The briefing notes the Kings Speech can be seen here.

Economic Policy and Growth

• Stability as the cornerstone of economic policy, with independent assessments for tax and spending changes [Budget Responsibility Bill].
• Strengthening audit, corporate governance, and pension investment [Draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill, Pension Schemes Bill].
• Securing economic growth through partnerships with business and workers, establishing an Industrial Strategy Council to raise living standards.

Infrastructure and Planning

• Accelerating infrastructure and housing delivery through planning reforms [Planning and Infrastructure Bill].
• Promoting sustainable growth via investment in industry, skills, and new technologies.

Employment Rights

• Introducing a new deal for workers to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights [Employment Rights Bill].
• Legislation for those developing powerful AI models.

Devolution and Local Growth

• Greater decision-making power to metro mayors and combined authorities [English Devolution Bill].
• Local leaders to control bus services [Better Buses Bill] and reforms in rail franchising [Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, Rail Reform Bill].

Climate and Energy

• Commitment to clean energy transition and setting up Great British Energy to invest in renewables [Great British Energy Bill].
• Supporting sustainable aviation fuel production and improving water quality [Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill, Water (Special Measures) Bill].

Security and Policing

• Modernizing asylum and immigration systems, establishing Border Security Command, and enhancing counter-terror powers [Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill].
• Strengthening community policing and support for victims [Crime and Policing Bill, Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill].
• Improving public venue security against terrorism [Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill].

Education and Opportunity

• Raising educational standards and breaking barriers to opportunity, focusing on children’s wellbeing [Children’s Wellbeing Bill].
• Establishing Skills England for employer partnerships and reforming the apprenticeship levy [Skills England Bill].

Housing

• Giving greater rights to renters, ending no-fault evictions [Renters’ Rights Bill], and publishing draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform [Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill].

Health and Wellbeing

• Improving NHS with a focus on mental health and reducing waiting times [Mental Health Bill].
• Increasing the age for buying cigarettes, limiting vape sales, and restricting junk food advertising to children [Tobacco and Vapes Bill].
• Draft Bill to ban conversion practices [Draft Conversion Practices Bill].

Governance and Equality

• Introducing a duty of candour for public servants [Hillsborough Law].
• Establishing an Armed Forces Commissioner [Armed Forces Commissioner Bill].
• Publishing draft legislation for race and disability equality [Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill].

Constitutional Reform

• Strengthening work with devolved governments and establishing a Council of the Nations and Regions.
• House of Lords reform to remove hereditary peers [House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill].
• Proposing a modernisation committee for the House of Commons.

Defence and International Relations

• Conducting a Strategic Defence Review and maintaining commitment to NATO.
• Supporting Ukraine and seeking to improve trade and security cooperation with the EU.
• Commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Miscellaneous

• Hosting the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace.
• Upcoming visits to Samoa and Australia for Commonwealth meetings