The new government under Sir Keir Starmer has introduced more bills than the coalition government led by David Cameron did in the whole of 2010.
The Labour government has introduced two new laws and 15 new bills in its first 100 days (Image: Getty)
The Labour government has officially marked a whirlwind first 100 days in power during which 17 new bills have been introduced, including two that have already become law.
In the King’s Speech marking the start of the government session, it was clear the new government was keen to get the ball rolling as the monarch set out plans for 40 bills as a focus for Parliament.
Across the bills already introduced, Labour has moved to strengthen workers rights, boost public ownership and protect tenants in rented property.
More controversially, the government has also introduced bills which propose significant reform within the House of Lords, involving the removal of hereditary peers and an increase in the number of female peers.
Since their election victory in July this year, the Labour government has moved quickly to introduce bills aligned with their election manifesto.
The first Labour-led bill introduced under Sir Keir Starmer was the Water (Special Measures) Bill proposed by Labour peer Baroness Hayman.
The bill will strengthen the power of water industry regulators and enable criminal charges to be brought against water companies that repeatedly violate pollution and sewage spill limitations.
The bill followed a 54 percent increase in the number of sewage spills across the UK in 2023 compared to 2022 records, as reported by the Environment Agency.
The government has moved quickly under the leadership of Keir Starmer since election victory in July (Image: Getty)
Labour’s Employment Rights Bill introduced by Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will see major amendments to existing workers rights, especially those on zero-hours contracts.
The bill will ban “exploitative” zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire and introduce basic employment rights from day one, providing stronger protections against sudden and unfair dismissal.
The bill has been largely welcomed by trade unions, although business leaders have warned the government’s ambition to raise employment standards could lead to small businesses facing a wall of red tape.
Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses said: “Dropping 28 new measures onto small business employers all at once leaves them scrambling to make sense of it all. Beyond warm words, it lacks any real pro-growth element and will increase economic inactivity.”
However, Senior Policy Officer of the Trade Union Congress Tim Sharp described the bill as a “massive boost” to workers, which will “improve working lives” for millions of people.
Two bills have been carried over from the former Conservative government under Rishi Sunak, the Football Governance Bill, intended to establish an independent regulator for elite men’s football, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, set to gradually phase out nicotine products for under 18s.
Two bills, the Budget Responsibility Act and the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act have already become law.
The Budget Responsibility Act requires the UK government to provide independent assessment for proposed significant fiscal measures, meaning the government must consult the OBR for changes to tax or spending.
The Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act signs off departmental spending until March 2025.
The other bills introduced under Starmer’s leadership so far cover:
- The Great British Energy Bill – establishing a new, publicly-owned energy production company
- Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – requiring large public venues to implement clear protective measures against potential terror attacks
- Renters’ Rights Bill – scrapping ‘no fault’ evictions and limiting rent increases for tenants
- Lords Spritual (Women) Act 2015 (Exetnesion) Bill – extending a prebiousl law which requires all new Lords Spirutual entering the House of Lords to be female where possible
- Bank Resolutoin (Recapitlaisation) Bill – providing the Bank of England with more powers when managing the failure of small banks
- Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill – bringing rail contracts into public ownership when they expire or when private operators fails to meet their obligations
- Crown Estate Bill – widening the borrowing and investment powers of the Crown Estate to speed up the development of offshore wind projects
- Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill – to change the status of the CPA and ICRC to mean that the government can treat them in a similar way to other international organisations of which the UK is a member
- Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill – allowing Bitcoin and other digital assets to be considered personal property
- Arbitration Bill – enacting recommendations to make dispute settlement more efficient
- Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill – will abolish the Institute and transfer its property and responsibilities to the Department for Education.
- Product Regulation and Metrology Bill – updating safety laws for products marketed within the UK and clarifying the role of online marketplaces
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill – removing the remaining hereditary peers in the House of Lords
