The king was on his throne for longer than usual this week reading out the government’s plans. Sir Keir Starmer was right to plan a heavy programme of legislation while the Tories are weak and in disarray.
There was plenty for business to chew over. An Industrial Strategy Council (ISC) is to be set up. For thirty years in the last century, successive governments were advised by the National Economic Development Council. It aimed to provide some coherence to Whitehall support for the industries of the future. Let’s wish its new incarnation well.
New powers will prevent any future Prime Minister or Chancellor bypassing the Office of Budget Responsibility, a huge rebuke to Liz Truss. Business will be more worried about new employment rights if it means protection against sacking from day one and the abolition of all zero hours contracts. It suits some employees. A vague pledge to “get people back to work after the pandemic” will be difficult as I suspect Labour will have no appetite to retain the Tory approach of cutting off benefits. The end to no fault evictions may reduce the availability of rentable properties.
We will have to see whether Great British Railways and the nationalisation of the franchises actually improves our railways. One instant improvement would be to make train drivers work a seven day rota. The Tories bottled it, I doubt if Labour will challenge ASLEF and the RMT.
Legislation on smoking, vaping, and junk food, all good. Bring on the “nanny state” now that Rees Mogg is out!
The duty of candour is a good idea, if it works. The post office and blood scandals, not to mention a succession of NHS inquiries have seen obfuscation and buck passing by people who should have gone to jail.
I can’t wait for the match between the Football Regulator and Manchester City Lawyers.
The King’s Speech marked the end of sterile hostility to the European Union. It was great to welcome our friends to Blenheim Palace for the European Political Community meeting. Let’s hope agreement on defence, veterinary and professional qualification recognition will begin the long march back to EU membership.
Although I would have welcomed a return to a commitment to regional development agencies and assemblies to hold them to account, the government seems committed to expanding the elected mayors and combined authorities (CAs) model. However, there is to be a Council of the Nations and Regions, hopefully recognising that mayors and CAs don’t always operate on a sufficiently wide geographical area.
Lords reform looks as if it is going to be on a modest scale, scrapping the remaining hereditary peers. It would be a good thing if reform could be widened to link up with the Council of Nations and Regions to appoint people to redress the South East bias of the upper chamber. It was the first King’s speech for a Labour government since October 1950 when George the Sixth was on the throne and Clement Attlee was Prime Minister. He was not a flashy man, but a determined one. Sir Keir may turn out to be a similar holder of the office.
