Main Takeaways from the King’s Speech

1. Employment Rights Bill: The Employment Rights Bill proposes protection against unfair dismissal, flexible working rights from day one, and minimum wage benefits for all adults. Some concerns remain about the practical implementation, such as the applicability during probation periods and the reasonableness of flexible working requirements.
2. GB Energy: The government plans to establish GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy company with £8.3bn investment, aimed at reducing household bills by £300 a year through renewable energy projects. However, the actual savings might be impacted by current electricity prices and the costs of renewable projects.
3. Counter-Terror Style Measures for People Smuggling: A new Border Security Command will be created to use counter-terrorism-style powers against people smugglers. This includes prosecuting for preparatory offences, but the effectiveness and timeline for these measures to show results remain uncertain.
4. Health Legislation: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will progressively increase the legal age for purchasing tobacco and regulate vaping products. A reform of the Mental Health Act aims to better protect the rights of individuals with severe mental health issues, addressing long-standing concerns about the misuse of sectioning laws.
5. Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour: The government plans to introduce “respect orders” to address anti-social behaviour and focus on victim-centred justice, including requiring offenders to attend sentencing hearings. There is limited detail on addressing the root causes of criminal behaviour.
6. Digital Information and Smart Data Bill: The introduction of a digital ID card system is proposed to simplify processes like buying a house and managing immigration. This move has raised concerns among privacy advocates regarding the collection and protection of personal data.
7. Public Transport: Reforms in public transport include giving local leaders new powers to control bus services and bringing train operators into public ownership under Great British Railways to improve management and efficiency.
8. Equality Bill: The Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will require firms with 250+ employees to report pay gaps for disabled workers, aiming to close the pay disparity. The effectiveness of similar measures for gender pay reporting has been debated.
9. Housing and Renters’ Rights: Legislation aims to streamline planning for building 1.5 million homes and improve renters’ rights, including banning no-fault evictions and enhancing safety and standards in rental properties. The specifics of achieving these housing targets are yet to be detailed.
10. Economic Growth and Devolution: The government’s focus on economic growth includes establishing the Industrial Strategy Council and devolving powers to metro mayors and combined authorities to support local growth plans and infrastructure development.

Following Labour’s first King’s Speech, several measures will be implemented to address the outlined priorities. The Employment Rights Bill will aim to ensure fair treatment and flexible working conditions for employees, though its practical application remains to be clarified. GB Energy will be launched with substantial public investment to support renewable energy projects and potentially reduce household energy costs, though economic conditions could affect the projected savings.

The new Border Security Command will be established to enhance efforts against people smuggling, using advanced prosecutorial powers. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill and Mental Health Act reform will address public health issues and protect individuals’ rights, though the success of these measures will depend on effective enforcement and support systems.

Crime and anti-social behaviour will be tackled through new enforcement measures and a victim-centred justice approach, while the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill will reintroduce digital ID cards to streamline various processes, despite privacy concerns.

Public transport reforms will grant local control over bus services and transition train operations to public ownership under Great British Railways. The Equality Bill will mandate pay gap reporting for disabled workers, promoting workplace equality, though its impact will need to be monitored.

Housing initiatives will accelerate planning and construction of new homes while enhancing renters’ rights and protections. Economic growth will be driven by the Industrial Strategy Council, and further devolution of decision-making powers to local leaders will support regional development and infrastructure projects. These measures aim to create a fairer, more sustainable, and prosperous society, but their success will rely on effective implementation and addressing potential challenges.

Our legal experts will follow up with analysis of the areas which are most impactful to our clients – for example, on employment laws (you can read Marin Vincent’s article here), leasehold reforms, banning of no-fault evictions in due course.