Highlights of the first King's Speech delivered by King Charles under the new Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Follow all the latest developments in the King's Speech and political fallout with MailOnline's live blog Keir Starmer boasted he is bringing in a 'new era' today after unveiling a King's Speech taking control of rail, energy and the planning system.
Amid the usual pomp and ceremony, the King said ministers will go ahead with controversial class-war plans to impose VAT on private school fees.The ban on current 15-year-olds ever buying cigarettes is being revived, after the previous attempt was lost when Rishi Sunak called the election. Despite his massive majority as Labour begins its first spell in power for 14 years, Sir Keir faces trouble in his own ranks as MPs voiced fury at the failure to axe the two-child cap on receiving benefits.
'I understand well that the Chancellor is keen to paint as bleak a picture as possible, but I would just gently point out that this is not exactly what the facts say. But Sir Keir said: 'This Government has been elected to deliver nothing less than national renewal – to stop the chaos of the past 14 years, turn the page on an era of politics as noisy performance and return it to public service and start the work of rebuilding our country.
He insisted 'the era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over' - saying delivery was the only way to counter the 'snake oil charm of populism'.'It is only by serving the interests of working people, and delivering real change that transforms lives, that we can begin to restore people's faith that politics can be a force for good.Advertisement 'Rebuilding our country will not happen overnight.
'Democratic decisions are best made by people with skin in the game, so my government will push power out of Westminster and empower local leaders to deliver for their communities.' Labour's manifesto states that communities should still be allowed to 'shape housebuilding in their area', but suggests they will lose their veto over development.
Labour's manifesto pledged to kick-start the economy and generate the highest growth in the G7 by the end of this Parliament. more videos As well as crowds cheering the King and Queen, there was a group of republican protesters Labour has committed to sweeping away zero hours contracts, while unions have reacted with glee at the scrapping of Tory restrictions on the chaos that can be caused by strikes.
The King's Speech included a pledge to ban zero hours arrangements, but after protests from businesses and people who benefit from the terms it has been watered down. The Tory government's reforms of union powers, including minimum service standards in areas like rail, will be abolished. There will also be a new fair pay agreement in the adult social care sector to establish national terms and conditions and fair pay rates, as well as a 'genuine' national living wage which removes 'discriminatory' age bands.
Most existing railway contracts are set to expire by the end of 2025, and while some extend into the 2030s, senior Labour sources suggested the Government could take advantage of break clauses to bring services back into public ownership sooner.It aims to have the change completed by 2029, with a 'shadow GBR' set up immediately even before contracts end, with a remit to also include 'industrial relations.
However the Government appears to have slowed its charge towards change. Before the election, now minister Nick Thomas-Symonds suggested it could be brought in within 100 days of taking power. But it would also include major carve outs for 'legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling', and the guidance says it must also 'respect the important role that teachers, religious leaders, parents and carers can have.'
Labour today outlined its plan for a 'smoke-free UK' as it relit Rishi Sunak's progressive tobacco ban. The King's Speech today outlined plans for a Tobacco and Vapes Bill, hailing it as a 'landmark step in creating a smoke-free UK'. 'A smoke-free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future,' he said.
The change was branded a called 'shoplifters' charter' and has been blamed, along with the dire state of the economy generally, for a surge in retail thefts to record levels.Retail leaders complained that shoplifting had effectively 'decriminalised' in April when new data revealed 430,104 offences were recorded by police in the year to December 2023. That figure was up by more than a third from 315,040 in the previous 12 months.
Last week Sir Keir met again with Luther and The Wire actor Idris Elba, who campaigns against knife crime, having held talks during the election campaign. They met at a King's Trust even attended by Charles on Friday at St James's Palace. In April Sir Keir backed the Mail campaign for a crackdown on assaults against staff, saying: 'The public are rightly outraged about the level of lawlessness on our high streets.Labour will undertake a 'devolution revolution' that will hand more powers to regional leaders to control skills, energy, planning and transport.
However, critics may point to other changes unveiled in the speech, especially covering planning, which might take power away from local communities, especially if they try to block housing projects. The Labour Government has said its doors are open for areas that want to take on devolution for the first time, as well as potential increases in powers for currently devolved local government.
The House of Lords Bill will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in Parliament's upper chamber. Since becoming PM, Sir Keir has already handed out five new life peerages despite previously promising to abolish the House of Lords completely Labour also attacked the 'static' political composition of hereditary peers, with 42 seats ringfenced for Conservatives, 28 for crossbenchers, three for Liberal Democrats, and two for Labour, while 15 are elected by the whole House.
Following recent controversies over new peerages, Labour also pledged to 'reform the appointments process to ensure the quality of new appointments'.Labour today unveiled a major overhaul of planning laws as part of their bid to 'get Britain building' and deliver 1.5 million new houses over the next five years.
Labour today unveiled a major overhaul of planning laws as part of their bid to 'get Britain building' and deliver 1.5 million new houses over the next five years In their manifesto, Labour said they would undo 'damaging' Tory changes to the NPPF - such as reversing the scrapping of mandatory local housebuilding targets for councils.
They said they would strengthen the presumption in favour of sustainable development, and would 'not be afraid to make full use of intervention powers' to overrule local authorities in their bid to boost housebuilding.
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