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The Daily Mail front page today claims that Keir Starmer’s Government is operating a ‘Government by Talking Shop’.
The Conservative-supporting newspaper hits out at ministers in its splash, condemning the Government for launching “at least 67 reviews” in five months.
But a Labour official hits back, telling Politico: “The Tories did about 61 reviews alone on whether to ban plastic cutlery — and got countless glowing Mail front pages as a result.”
It’s a fun comeback. But what exactly has Starmer’s Government actually done so far?
A rummage through Parliament’s legislative agenda shows a packed itinerary – even if most newspapers haven’t given it all that much coverage.
Don’t miss a story
From renationalising the railways to strengthening workers’ rights and reforming the House of Lords, the Government has in fact embarked on a highly ambitious legislative agenda.
Here’s a breakdown of the key laws passed or introduced so far, and their current status in Parliament.
Laws Enacted Already
Budget Responsibility Act 2024
Status: Received Royal Assent on 10th September 2024
This is effectively the “Liz Truss Mini-Budget Prevention Act”. It imposes new duties on the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to ensure that “fiscally significant” measures announced by the Government are subject to an independent assessment by the OBR, even without a request from the Treasury.
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024
Status: Received Royal Assent on 28th November 2024
The Act removes the current presumption in favour of private sector-run passenger railway services in England, fulfilling the Government’s commitment to bring train operations back into public ownership when current franchise contracts end.
It enables the Secretary of State and devolved administrations to secure the provision of railway passenger services via contracts with public sector operators.
It has been a demand of the Labour movement ever since rail was privatised under John Major in the 1990s. And now it’s happening, on a staggered basis, within months of the new administration coming to power.
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Bills in Progress
Great British Energy Bill 2024-26
Status: Completed Commons stages, currently at Second Reading in the Lords
The Bill establishes Great British Energy as a publicly-owned, operationally independent company to “facilitate, encourage and participate in the production, distribution, storage and supply of clean energy,” with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring energy security.
It’s a new Government-owned energy producer – a key plank of Labour’s plans to get to a 100% renewably-powered electricity grid by 2030.
Employment Rights Bill 2024-26
Status: Currently being scrutinised in Committee Stage in the Commons
This is a big one. The wide-ranging Bill seeks to strengthen workers’ rights, including banning most zero-hours contracts, introducing a right to reasonable notice of shifts, payment for short-notice shift cancellations, banning “fire and rehire” practices, enhancing protections against sexual harassment, establishing fair pay agreements in adult social care, and reforming trade union legislation to make it easier for unions to organise and represent workers.
Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-26
Status: Currently being scrutinised in Committee Stage in the Commons
The Bill aims to transform the experience of private renting by abolishing “no-fault” evictions, introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the sector, strengthening tenants’ rights to challenge punitive practices like unreasonable rent rises, and banning discrimination against tenants on benefits or with children.
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill 2024-26
Status: Completed Commons stages, now heading for Second Reading in the Lords
As a “first step” in reforming the upper chamber, this Bill removes the right of the 92 remaining hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
Amid the Media Noise About ‘Cronyism’, Keir Starmer Is Quietly Reforming Political Standards for the Better
The spectre of Boris Johnson’s assault on standards in public life is slowly retreating, argues Josiah Mortimer
Finance Bill 2024-26
Status: Had Second Reading in the Commons, awaiting Committee of the Whole House
Enacting the provisions of the Budget, this Bill sets income tax rates and allowances for 2025-26, and increases Capital Gains Tax rates for business asset disposals and “carried interest” gains affecting shares of profits from private equity, venture capital, or hedge funds earned by the fund partners.
It introduces inheritance tax for large farm estates, removes non-domicile (non-dom) tax dodging loopholes, abolishes the VAT exemption for private school fees, and adjusts rates for various excise duties and levies. It also extends the levy on oil and gas industry profits.
Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-26
Status: Had Second Reading in the Commons, now has an official Call for Evidence
A landmark Bill, initially proposed by Rishi Sunak but jettisoned when he called the General Election, which aims to create a “smoke-free generation” by gradually ending the sale of tobacco products to those born after 1st January 2009. In other words, it will fully ban tobacco over the course of several decades.
It strengthens powers to ban smoking in public places, restricts the advertising of vapes to children, and introduces a new retail licensing regime for tobacco and nicotine products.
