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Sir Keir Starmer has vowed his government agenda can counter the “snake oil charm of populism” and declared an end to the “era of politics as performance and self-interest.”
Following the King’s Speech, the prime minister and Rishi Sunak were debating the contents of the government’s new set of proposed policies.
The new Labour government’s plans include “getting Britain building” by delivering 1.5 million homes and nationalising the country’s railways, King Charles has announced.
In the first State Opening of Parliament under a Labour government since 2009, Charles set out the legislation being prioritised by Sir Keir and his ministers.
He outlined around 35 draft laws including a national housebuilding programme, a a workers’ rights bill, and removing the VAT exemption for private schools to help fund 6,500 new teachers.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will seek to allow for land to be bought more cheaply for building, while a new public body, Great British Railways (GBR), will oversee the rail network, and give all English councils new powers to franchise local bus services.
Senior Labour MP warns children facing ‘hobbled’ life chances
Former Commons public accounts committee chair Dame Meg Hillier hit out at government “bungles” as she warned some children in her London constituency face “hobbled” life chances.
Dame Meg said: “In that role I saw many egregious examples of incompetence, bungling and waste, whether it’s water companies, school buildings falling down with reinforced concrete and other things, rail infrastructure a running sore, defence procurement a national embarrassment, and the scandal of PPE procurement during Covid.
“Again and again, government bungles, poorly drafted contracts, lack of oversight, dodged responsibilities, endless excuses, and the taxpayer picking up the tab.”
The Hackney South and Shoreditch MP added: “No parent should be having to skip meals to feed their kids, which is what’s happening too often in Hackney and elsewhere in the country.
“No child should be arriving at school with a rumbling tummy, which is why I welcome the breakfast clubs we already have in Hackney and the fact that one of the first acts of this Labour Government will be to make sure that every child in primary school has a decent breakfast.
“When we talk about stagnant wages, low productivity, flattening growth, lack of investment in skills in schools and the abolition of Sure Start and the gig economy, there is human cost.
“Right now in a Hackney school there is a hungry child whose huge potential is being wasted, whose opportunities are stunted and whose life chances are hobbled.”
Stephen Flynn calls for GB Energy to be headquartered in Aberdeen
“There is one area where I hope the prime minister can put a smile on my face, and that’s in relation to GB Energy”, SNP Wesminster leader Stephen Flynn has told the Commons.
“Because I’m moderately surprised that we haven’t had an announcement yet that it’s due to be headquartered in Aberdeen – perhaps, of course, in the Aberdeen South constituency that I represent.
“Indeed, Aberdeen and Grampian chamber of commerce hired a van today which has been patrolling the streets outside parliament calling for it to come home – and that is the only time I will ever use those words – and it should come home, straight to the energy capital of Europe.”
He added: “I also want to see a lot more detail about what GB Energy is going to deliver because if I’ve read correctly, £8.3bn cumulatively over the course of the next five years will go towards GB Energy, some £1.6bn each and every year. Well one hydropump storage project in Scotland would almost blow that entire budget apart.
“We know that GB Energy isn’t going to sell energy, distribute energy. We appear to know it’s not going to generate energy, it’s suggested it will be an investment vehicle for projects to go forward. But if it’s going to be capped at £.16bn per year, I have to question the ambition. How does that deliver the change required?”
He said that would require some £28bn each year, adding: “What a contrast to the ambitions they once had.”
‘We will’: Laughter as Stephen Flynn says SNP will be as ‘constructive as we can’
“The opportunity that is now in front of this Labour government is enormous. They have a parliamentary majority which will go down in history, an that affords them … the ability to deliver change. What that change looks like, and perhaps more importantly what it feels like for people in their homes is so important.
“My colleagues and I on the SNP benches will try to do everything that we possibly can to be as constructive as we can,” he continued, adding: “We will,” as some light laughter emerged from the Commons benches.
But Mr Flynn said he was disappointed by measures left out of the King’s Speech, including measures to end the “heinous” two-child benefit cap.
He asks how Scottish Labour MPs will vote on the issue, highlighting divisions in opinion with Sir Keir Starmer’s party south of the border.
SNP’s Flynn jokes he isn’t sure who emerged worse from his demand for Sunak to call election
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has joked that he is not sure who came out worse after he “perhaps goaded” Rishi Sunak into calling the general election which saw both the Tories and SNP suffer large losses.
Mr Flynn said: “The day the election was called there was a PMQ and I perhaps goaded the former PM in respect of calling the general election, indeed I think I referred to him as being ‘feart’ should he not do that.
“I’m not sure entirely who fared worse from his decision to do so out of the two of us, but it’s maybe something we can both reflect upon in due course.”
Sir Ed Davey calls for UK to ‘becoming the caring nation’
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the UK to “become the caring nation” as he warned that fixing the crisis in the NHS is vital for the economy and growth, as well as for people’s health.
“Caring has been in the shadows for far too long. Let this be the parliament when carers’ voices are heard, when we become the caring nation,” he told the Commons.
“Because caring is actually people doing extraordinary things every day for the ones that they love, often in the face of difficult circumstances, fiscal challenges, no breaks, mountains of paperwork, countless appointments, endless phone calls, trying to navigate a broken system that is simply not designed to work for carers.”
Sir Ed said he was encouraged by reported plans for a cross-party commission on social care, as he urged the PM to look at his own party’s manifesto plans to boost GP numbers and bolster access to dentists and local pharmacists.
Warning that the scale of the problems left by the Tories are huge, Sir Ed said the Lib Dems will tell the new government when they think it is wrong, but will support it when they feel it is right to do so.
Train drivers: Talks to resume in bid to break two-year deadlock
Negotiators from the train drivers’ union, Aslef, are to meet the Department for Transport (DfT) on Tuesdayin a bid to resolve their long-running pay dispute.
For the past two years Aslef has called national or “rolling” strikes at the 14 train operators that are controlled by the DfT, which include all the leading commuter and long-distance rail firms. The train drivers are seeking a no-strings pay rise. Their union says many of them have not seen wages rise since 2019.
Negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, stalled under the last government. Ministers would not sign off on a deal unless it was contingent on modernising working practices in order to cut costs in a hugely subsidised industry.
Strikes have taken place intermittently, typically every month or two, since July 2022. In addition a series of bans on rest-day working have led to thousands of train cancellations. Before the last election, the Conservatives characterised them as “Labour’s strikes”.
Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “We’re having an initial meeting with the DfT on Tuesday.
“We hope, with a new government in place, that we can have constructive talks to get a positive resolution that works for train drivers, who have not had an increase in salary for five years, since 2019, and will help get our railway back on track.”
He accused the former transport secretary, Mark Harper, and rail minister Huw Merriman of “putting the brakes on any deal”.
Tory MP slams Starmer for failing to commit to rural issues
Conservative MP Graham Stuart has pressed Sir Keir Starmer on his commitment to tackle rural issues.
The MP for Beverley and Holderness, asked the prime minister: “I am grateful to the Prime Minister for giving way and he talks about priorities.
“But of course, people in rural communities around the country see the vast majority which the right honourable gentleman has assembled, and they’re afraid.
“They see a manifesto in which just 87 words are used about farming. They see they see a King’s Speech with no mention of rural communities or rural priorities. Will the Prime Minister please take this opportunity to reassure people in rural and farming communities that his Labour Government will take notice of them?”
Sir Keir replied: “Let me take this opportunity to reassure those in rural communities. I grew up in a rural community myself, and I think that if you look at the places that are now represented, you can see the reassurance that has been given that will also be given again.”
Sir Ed Davey tells Starmer: ‘Water sports are my thing’
Sir Ed Davey has joined Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in condemning the attempt to kill former US president Donald Trump.
He then commemorates Jo Cox, the Labour MP killed by a terrorist and pays tribute to Peter Dowd and Florence Eshalomi for the speeches at the start of the debate.
Praising the newly elected government, he said: “They now have an enormous undertaking and we wish them well.”
He then joked about his multiple stunts during the election campaign, saying: “I read somewhere that the prime minister apparently surfed to power on a wave of Conservative failure, but can I say to him, gently with a pang of envy, water sports are my thing.”
Labour announces host of new tech rules – but does not reveal much-hyped ‘AI bill’
Many within the technology and AI industries had expected that the King’s Speech would bring the introduction of new regulation and governance over artificial intelligence. But it included only passing references to the technology – focused on ensuring that it did not conflict with workers’ rights – and no new legislation specifically focused on it.
As such, it remains largely unclear how much and in what ways the government intends to regulate AI.
But it did announce a host of other new tech-focused changes, including pledges to strengthen the UK’s cybersecurity and resilience, as well as take greater advantage of data to boost economic growth, through new Bills announced in the King’s Speech.
Our technology editor Andrew Griffin has the full story:
PM declares ‘this is a new era’
Sir Keir Starmer has told the House of Commons “this is a new era” of politics and promised to serve everyone.
The prime minister said: “I have said that we would serve everyone, whether they voted for us or not, and I meant it,” the Prime Minister said.
“So let me say directly to the benches opposite, if you are invested in the success of your community, we will work with you.
“This is a new era. We are turning a page, returning politics to service, because that is what the people of this country want to see from their politicians, and service is a stronger bond than political self-interest.”
Source: independent.co.uk
