There are 40 bills, ranging from the potentially nation-changing to legislative tidying up, albeit with no real surprises. So what does Labour’s first king’s speech set out? Here is what has been promised, area by area.
Economy and money
Budget responsibility bill: Otherwise nicknamed the “Liz Truss bill”, this sets out, in the wake of the short-serving PM’s disastrous mini-budget, that all such fiscal measures must come with an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
National wealth fund bill: Setting out in law one of the government’s main wealth-creating efforts, a £7.3bn capitalised fund to spread investment.
Draft audit reform and corporate governance bill: A more technical piece of legislation setting out a revamped regulator for the auditing sector.
Pension schemes bill: A broad pensions-based bill covering measures intended to help people get more from their retirement pots.
Environment
Great British Energy bill: Very much one of the big-ticket bills, this sets up Labour’s long-promised publicly owned clean energy production company.
Water (special measures) bill: A law that taps into the anger about polluted waterways and privatised water companies that includes personal criminal liability for water bosses and powers to ban bonuses if environmental standards are not met.
Sustainable aviation fuel (revenue support mechanism) bill: An attempt to increase investment in UK plants to make lower-emission aviation fuels.
Health
Tobacco and vapes bill: Left over from Rishi Sunak’s government, this would gradually ban smoking and stop vapes being marketed at children.
Mental health bill: A broad bill to modernise mental health provisions, including in areas such as how people can be detained and treated under the Mental Health Act.
Housing
Planning and infrastructure bill: One of the government’s main measures, intended to streamline and speed up planning and associated infrastructure needs to get more housing built. It includes a more top-down approach, with penalties for councils that fail to get moving.
Renters’ rights bill: Finally introducing an end to “no fault” evictions, as long promised but never delivered by Sunak’s government.
Draft leasehold and commonhold reform bill: Another housing plan not delivered under Sunak, this attempts to reform the leasehold system, including with a ban on extortionate ground rents and on the sale of new leasehold flats.
Workers’ rights
Employment rights bill: The long-promised bill, coming with a pledge that it will be introduced to parliament in the first 100 days of the government, would ban zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire practices, add extra rights such as on flexible working, and make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal immediate rights.
Crime and immigration
Border security, asylum and immigration bill: This sets up the new Border Security Command, intended to limit the number of unofficial Channel crossings by asylum seekers, with other enforcement measures introduced.
Crime and policing bill: A more general policing bill, including measures on neighbourhood policing and stronger rules for the inspectorate to intervene in failing police forces.
Victims, courts and public protection bill: Among other measures, this would boost the powers of the Victims’ commissioner.
Terrorism (protection of premises) bill: Otherwise known as Martyn’s Law after Martyn Hett who was among those killed in the Manchester Arena attack, this would make sure public buildings are better protected against such attacks.
Devolution and governance
English devolution bill: Another much-touted measure, intended to extend devolution across England and giving mayors and local authorities the opportunity to take on extra powers.
Hillsborough law: Introducing a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities in an attempt to prevent Hillsborough-style cover ups.
House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill: No more hereditary peers will sit in the Lords.
Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (extension) bill: This would aim to increase the number of female bishops in the Lords.
Transport
Passenger railway services (public ownership) bill: A simple bill, but a potentially big change – bringing rail services back into public ownership.
Rail reform bill: This would formally establish Great British Railways, the state-run rail firm.
High-speed rail (Crewe to Manchester) bill: An acknowledgment in law that Labour will not resurrect the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2, instead focusing on east to west links.
Better buses bill: A measure that could have a big impact, this changes the law to allow local authorities and mayors to bring bus services under local control, rather than being privately run.
Education and skills
Children’s wellbeing bill: Introduces free breakfast clubs in primary schools as well as efforts to make uniforms cheaper.
Skills England bill: This brings together employers, unions and others to try to boost skills training.
Equality
Draft equality (race and disability) bill: This would set out equal pay rights for people from minority ethnic groups and disabled people, including mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for bigger employers.
Draft conversion practices bill: Likely to be quite knotty – a bill to ban conversion practices, including those connected to gender.
Miscellaneous
Football governance bill: This would introduce a fans-friendly independent football regulator.
Armed forces commissioner bill: A self-explanatory one – to create a commissioner for the armed forces.
Northern Ireland legacy legislation: Another potentially tricky measure, aiming to replace the Northern Ireland Legacy Act, which was criticised for measures such as conditional amnesties for Troubles-era crimes.
Bank resolution (recapitalisation) bill: A technical bill about what happens if a bank fails, including efforts to make sure taxpayers do not bear the costs.
Cybersecurity and resilience bill: Another technical bill about protecting digital services.
Arbitration bill: A bill that aims to modernise and hasten dispute resolution systems.
Product safety and metrology bill: Metrology means measurement – this is another quite specific bill intended to increase economic efficiency and growth.
Digital information and Smart data bill: In a similar vein, this would change data-sharing standards and introduce a proper system for digital verification services.
The crown estate bill: This aims to modernise the crown estate, the semi-detached property management arms of the state, including improving its ability to invest.
Commonwealth parliamentary association and international committee of the Red Cross (status) bill: Perhaps the most specific bill of all: this would “treat the Commonwealth parliamentary association and the International Committee of the Red Cross in a manner comparable to that of an international organisation of which the United Kingdom, or His Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom, is a member”.
Holocaust memorial bill: To establish a national Holocaust memorial and learning centre next to parliament.
