The King’s Speech 2024: Key Takeaways on Labour's Bold Agenda

As is often the case with an incoming Government, Labour has announced a large programme of legislation and a long first Parliamentary session.

Potentially the most significant proposal is the reform of the planning system. The challenges in achieving this should not be underestimated, but Labour sees it as vital to delivering on their manifesto. This proposal underpins not only the Party’s housing targets, the drive for a net-zero energy system, and ultimately to delivering economic growth. The latter is particularly important for Labour as they hope to allocate more funding to public services, such as healthcare. However, this can only be achieved with greater tax receipts driven by economic growth.

The Bill to establish Great British Energy marks a shift towards a more interventionist policy in shaping the GB energy system to achieve a net-zero electricity grid by 2030. This target is extremely ambitious, and certainly can not be achieved without the planning reforms to facilitate permissions for both generation and transmission.

Most of the other bills announced are designed to fulfil key manifesto pledges, for example bringing rail franchises back under government control. There are also proposals to pick up Bills from the previous government where there was cross-party support, like the Football Governance Bill, and to strengthen legislation passed by the last government, such as the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

We will also see an early test of the unity within Labour’s large majority as the SNP and the Greens have indicated they will press a vote on abolishing the two-child limit on child benefit. Labour supports this in principle but insists it cannot afford it. Many of the Labour backbenchers are strongly committed to abolishing this measure and this debate could highlight potential tensions within the governing party.

Simon James is an experienced communications professional specialising in public affairs. Originally a scientist, he has worked in public affairs and policy development in the political sphere for over 30 years. He has worked across a wide range of policy issues including transport, energy, healthcare, planning, infrastructure development, defence and engineering. He has also been a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, a councillor and a member of the Congress of the Council of Europe. As cabinet member for Planning and Transport on Kingston Council, Simon successfully steered the development of an energy from waste plant for South West London through the planning system.