Welsh first minister Vaughan Gething has resigned, and Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce the government’s legislative agenda for the years ahead in the King’s Speech. King Charles is expected to outline around 35 draft laws, including a national house-building program to build 1.5 million homes, a bill to enact Labour’s pledge to nationalize the railways, and a workers’ rights bill. The prime minister stated that these measures would “take the brakes off Britain” and “create wealth for people up and down the country” by spurring economic growth. Additionally, new policies may grant more powers to local governments and ensure all government budgets receive advance independent scrutiny. Strengthening border security is also expected, following the decision to scrap the Conservatives’ plan to send people arriving in the U.K. across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
King speech live: Keir Starmer unveils housing targets and railway reform
Welsh first minister Vaughan Gething resigns
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Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce the government’s legislative agenda for the years ahead in the King’s Speech this morning.
As part of the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles is expected to outline around 35 draft laws including a national house-building programme to build 1.5 million homes, a bill to enact Labour’s pledge to nationalise the railways and a workers’ rights bill.
The prime minister said the measures would “take the brakes off Britain” and “create wealth for people up and down the country” by spurring economic growth.
As part of the new set of policies, local governments could receive more powers and a law to ensure all government budgets get advance independent scrutiny.
Also expected are new measures to strengthen border security, following on from Sir Keir’s decision to scrap the Conservatives’ plan to send people arriving in the U.K. across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
Key Points
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New fears Brexit has ‘drained life out of UK economy’ following IMF report
Opponents of Brexit have warned that the latest figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), confirm that leaving the EU “has drained the life out of the British economy”.
But the urgency of the problem appears to have been highlighted in the latest IMF projections.
According to the IMF the UK only grew 0.1 per cent in 2023 and will only grow by 0.7 per cent by the end of this year. While growth is set to double next year, according to the IMF, it will still only grow by 1.5 per cent.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 07:30
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Labour government welcomes inflation rates ahead of King’s Speech
The Labour government has welcomed the predicted fall in inflation after nearly three years of it being above target.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “It is welcome that inflation is at target, but we know that for families across Britain prices remain high.
“We face the legacy of 14 years of chaos and economic irresponsibility.
“That is why this Government is taking the tough decisions now to fix the foundations so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of Britain better off.”
But experts said it will be the finer details of the inflation data that could come under greater scrutiny.
In particular, economists will be looking at services inflation, which tracks categories such as hospitality, culture and housing, and has put more pressure on the overall rate in recent months.
Sanjay Raja, a senior economist for Deutsche Bank, said he expects live music inflation to nearly double to around 10% in June from 5.7% in May.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 07:24
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New Labour government sets out plans to ‘take the brakes off’ the economy in King’s Speech
Britain’s new Labour Party government campaigned on a promise to bring bold change at modest cost. Prime Minister Keir Starmer gets a chance to show how he aims to reconcile those two aims on Wednesday when the government announces its plans for the coming year.
Starmer said the measures announced in the King’s Speech to Parliament would “take the brakes off Britain” and “create wealth for people up and down the country” by spurring economic growth.
The King’s Speech is the centerpiece of the State Opening of Parliament, an occasion where royal pomp meets hard-nosed politics, as King Charles III dons a diamond-studded crown, sits on a gilded throne and announces the government’s legislative agenda.
Starmer said the speech would be a “down payment on our plans for the next five years,” which center on getting the U.K.’s stuttering economy growing strongly.
Labour won a landslide election victory on July 4 as voters turned on the Conservatives after years of high inflation, ethics scandals and a revolving door of prime ministers. Starmer has promised to patch up the country’s aging infrastructure and frayed public services, but says he won’t raise personal taxes and insists change must be bound by “unbreakable fiscal rules.”
The government said Wednesday’s speech will include more than 35 bills – the Conservatives’ last speech had just 21 – ranging from housebuilding to nationalizing Britain’s railways and decarbonizing the nation’s power supply with a publicly owned green energy firm.
Today will be the second King’s Speech of Charles III’s reign (Leon Neal/PA) (PA Archive)
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 07:18
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UK inflation to fall below target for first time in three years, economists say
The fight against inflation in the UK could see it fall below the Bank of England’s target level for the first time in more than three years, economists have predicted.
New data released from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday will reveal how fast prices were rising across the UK last month.
It comes after inflation returned to the Bank’s 2% target in May, after nearly three years of it being above target largely as a result of soaring food and energy prices.
But analysts think the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation might have undershot the target in June, with it coming in at 1.9% for the month, according to a consensus compiled by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
The last time it was below target was in April 2021, when CPI was recorded at 1.5%.
“After nearly three years of running above target, in May, UK CPI inflation returned to the Bank of England’s target of 2%. This is indisputably good news,” said Sandra Horsfield, an economist for Investec.
“Yet jubilation about this must be tempered: the ‘cost-of-living crisis’ is far from over for some.”
“The new Labour government will need to factor ongoing cost-of-living pressures in for some time yet, even if CPI inflation stays broadly on target,” she said.
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 07:04
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Exclusive: Unions demand ‘oven ready’ workers’ rights laws in Starmer’s first King’s Speech
With 35 bills set to be contained in Labour’s first legislative programme in 14 years which will be read out by King Charles on Wednesday, there are fears in the trade union movement that Sir Keir may deprioritise his pledges on workers rights.
Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Trades Union Congress (TUC) president Matt Wrack, who is also general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned that “words will not be enough” from the new Labour prime minister and rapid action is expected.
Our politics editor David Maddox has the full story:
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 07:00
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How UK’s defence compares to the 1980s as defence review rolled out
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s review of Britain’s defences comes as the West faces a “dangerous quartet” of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, according to Nato chief Lord Robertson.
Our data correspondent Alicja Hagopian has the full analysis:
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 06:30
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Labour MP required to reswear allegiance to King amid fears of legal action
A Labour MP was warned he risked possible legal action and losing his seat after failing to mention four words while swearing allegiance to the King.
Clive Lewis, who favours living in a republic, appeared in the chamber on Tuesday to repeat the affirmation after already making one attempt “under protest” to officially take his seat after the General Election.
MPs are required by law to make an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Crown and are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they do so.
Norwich South MP Mr Lewis omitted the words “his heirs and successors” during his first attempt to swear in, which prompted Commons officials to warn there was “doubt about whether the manner in which you made the affirmation is legally valid”.
Mr Lewis, writing on X, said: “After omitting to swear allegiance to King Charles’ ‘heirs and successors’ last week, I’ve had to take the oath again in order to sit in the House of Commons. The majority of the public are committed to democracy, and so I hope one day MPs can swear an oath based on those values.”
He posted a photo of the letter he received from the House of Commons Journal Office, adding: “If I had not re-sworn the oath, then based on a law from 1866, I could be fined, subjected to legal action, and my seat ‘shall be vacated in the same manner as if (I) were dead’.
“This should change, so MPs have the choice to swear allegiance to our constituents and democracy.”
Labour MP Clive Lewis makes his second attempt to swear in after the General Election (PA)
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 06:00
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Rayner admits families are ‘frustrated’ over two-child benefit cap but refuses to scrap it
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has admitted families are “frustrated” at Labour’s refusal to scrap the two-child benefit fap but declined to scrap it.
Sir Keir Starmer faces a party rebellion after pressure from Labour MPs and unions grew to ditch the policy.
Asked why Labour will not scrap the cap, Ms Rayner told BBC Breakfast: “We are going to be reviewing Universal Credit and I think that is important. Secondly, we have got a child poverty strategy, which, it is not just one lever.
“I accept that people are frustrated around the two-child cap, they are frustrated over 14 years, we have had 14 years of the Tories who have put us on the highest tax burden for 70 years and the lowest growth.
“That is why growth is imperative to us so we can afford to spend on making sure we can lift children out of poverty.”
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 05:30
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Trump’s vice president pick suggests UK an ‘Islamist country’
“I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon?” he said. “Maybe it is Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we finally decided that it’s actually the UK – since Labour just took over.”
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 05:00
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Watch: Rayner rejects Vance characterisation of UK as ‘Islamist’ under Labour
Angela Rayner rejects JD Vance’s characterisation of UK as ‘Islamist’ under Labour
Angela Rayner has said she “does not recognise” JD Vance’s claim that that, under a Labour government, Britain could be “the first truly Islamist country” with a nuclear weapon. Donald Trump’s now-running mate recently made the remark at the National Conservatism conference. Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, 16 July, the deputy prime minister said: “I think he said quite a lot of fruity things in the past. Ms Rayner added that she looked forward to meeting Mr Vance if the former president is re-elected.
Salma Ouaguira17 July 2024 04:30
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-labour-vaughan-gething-tory-reform-latest-news-b2580539.html