Ideas & Ambition - The Kings Speech

July 2024

Ideas and ambition. A clear mission of growth through investment and empowerment. The theme of public service ringing through.

When Charles III delivered the King’s Speech yesterday he surely compared the 40 bills proposed by the new government to the slim pickings from Rishi Sunak last November.

Of course, much of the speech matched Labour's election manifesto: planning reforms to drive investment in infrastructure, and boost new housing. A scheme re-nationalise the railways. A green energy bill. Greater devolved powers. And more.

All sounds reasonable on paper - but the devil will be in the detail and I know many entrepreneurs and small businesses (and large ones) will be nervous. They'll want to see the devil in the detail of giving staff flexible working, parental leave, and sick pay from from day one. Or banning zero-hour contracts. Or more powers for unions.

It’s well wrapped up and presented as the common-sense and fair approach - and I’m supportive - but we need to know more, and soon, so we can plan.

People like Kate Nicholls OBE at UKHospitality , the teams at APSCo and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation need to be all over it.

Another takeaway though was the volume of policy Starmer is committing too. Labour’s clearly determined to hit the ground running, and to take advantage of the Tory disarray. But he's got to deliver quality as well as quantity.

Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves will begin with a still weak economy, over-stretched and often-broken public services, and lots of latent opposition to yet rear its head (especially when it comes to planning).

Let's hope they're not biting off more than they can chew in their eagerness for change. As the front pages show the newspapers won't be giving Starmer's 'Red Revolution' an easy ride either.