Reactions from Westminster’s wonks are in. Free market think tanks view the whopping 40 bills as a mixed bag…

The Adam Smith Institute’s Maxwell Marlow calls it “a case of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Planning reforms “if executed properly” could get Britain building alongside “welcome relief” of leasehold and commonhold reform, and the legalisation of the sale of lab grown meat. The ASI criticises the smoking ban, dubbed a “black market charter“, and decries the VAT on private schools for “actually costing taxpayers and causing chaos as pupils leave their independent schools“. Employment rights changes will add “constraints” on businesses, while tinkering around venue and regulatory changes are “further worrying signs that this is a government that will expand the size and scope of the regulatory state.” Bureaucratic creep will ensue…

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says “taxpayers will be deeply disappointed by a legislative programme that fiddles with everything while fixing nothing… the agenda is dominated by low-priority issues and nakedly disastrous proposals, from a race equality bill to banning smoking, a football regulator and VAT on private schools.” Cutting…

The Centre for Policy Studies focuses on planning. Its Head of Housing, Samuel Hughes, says it is “welcome to see the Government being ambitious in its proposals, but these are only first steps. Only a full suite of reforms across policy and guidance will give the country any chance of seeing a housebuilding boom on the scale we so desperately need.” YIMBY appetites have been whetted…

Institute of Economic Affairs Executive Director Tom Clougherty welcomes planning changes but warns “pro-growth measures risk being held back by new red tape and risky ‘mission-led’ central planning.” He targets the North Sea oil and gas ban and a stack of new regulations, which will “reduce flexibility and increase structural unemployment” while nationalisations are “fraught with the risks of wasted taxpayer money, trade union dominance, and cronyism.”

Now the UK is well and truly state-led again, the outcomes of these projects rely on the actions of the government and its managers. It will go the same as always.

The King arrived in the Palace of Westminster 20 minutes ago to begin processions before announcing Starmer’s legislative programme. There are a lot of bills here…

It has been 8 months since the last one. Guido will provide live updates on the speech below:

• Committed to two-state solution.
• “Reset” of relations with EU, including new security pact.
• Strategic Defence Review.
• House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill – Hereditary peers got rid of.
• Northern Ireland Legacy Legislation – Process to replace Troubles Legacy and Reconciliation Act 2023.
• Council of the Nations and Regions for collaboration.
• Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill – Race equality will be draft legislation.
• Armed Forces Commissioner Bill – Armed forces commissioner to act as “independent champion“.
• Hillsborough Law – Duty of candour for public servants.
• Draft Conversion Practices Bill – Conversion therapy ban.
• Tobacco and Vapes Bill makes a return.
• Mental Health Bill.
• Football Governance Bill – Football protections and regulator.
• Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill – draft reform.
• Renters’ Rights Bill – No fault evictions banned.
• Skills England Bill
• Private school VAT.
• Children’s Wellbeing Bill – Higher standards in education.
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – Safety of public venues from terrorism.
• Crime and Policing Bill, Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill – More powers to police.
• Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – Border Security Command.
• Water (Special Measures) Bill – Water regulator to be strengthened.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill –  support sustainable aviation fuel.
• Great British Energy Bill – renewables investment vehicle.
• Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, Rail Reform Bill – Railway nationalisation.
• Better Buses Bill – bus service nationalisation.
• English Devolution Bill – strengthening local mayoral and authority powers.
• Employment Rights Bill– new deal for working people.
• Planning and Infrastructure Bill – planning reforms.
• Industrial Strategy Council to be established.
• Draft Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill, Pension Schemes Bill – bill to tinker with pension schemes.
• Budget Responsibility Bill – fiscal lock bill.
• King begins speaking.
• Chatty procession as pairs walk to the Lords.
• Black Rod bangs on the door and calls the MPs.
• The King and Queen have sat down.

Lots of measures, no surprises in there. Sunak’s smoking ban lives on. The budget is still to come, of course. A “strategy” and state-led programme…

Read the full list of 40 bills, including those not directly mentioned, below:

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Anti-Israel nuts (and another Just Stop Oil spin off) were planning to disrupt the State Opening of Parliament today. They said in a statement last week:

“Next Wednesday, 17^th July, is the State Opening of Parliament. In an outdated, farcical parade the King will ride in his (literal) golden carriage to usher in the new Labour government. Not in our name will Starmer be welcomed as the new head of a blood-stained parliament in pomp and glory.”

So much for that heroic plan. A co-conspirator has just snapped a big old bunch of them looking glum after getting nicked on Horseferry Road. Better luck next time…

The King has just wrapped up the first King’s speech to Parliament in 72 years. Kicking off with a tribute to his mother’s “legacy of service and devotion to this country”, Charles mentioned 16 out of 21 total bills with no surprises as everything was well trailed in advance. Pomp and ceremony were observed in full and everything went smoothly apart from Lindsay Hoyle tripping as he squeezed past the despatch box. Chortling ensued…

Most of this final-year programme revolves around changing regulation, with new red tape on business in legislation like the digital markets bill making up the beefiest changes. It won’t go far on the doorstep…

Here are the major announcements:

• Education Reforms: Rishi’s “Advanced British Standard” to replace A-Levels; plus reducing number of students in “poor quality” university degrees.
• Oil and Gas Licensing: A trap bill for Labour.
• Travel Investment: Network North investment and transport connections across England.
• Post-Brexit Trade: Promoting “trade and investment with economies in the fastest growing region in the world“.
• New Tech Regulation: New regulatory framework for AI and self-driving cars.
• Football Governance: A new football regulator.
• Digital Markets and Data: Bills to give the CMA more powers and replace EU data laws.
• Health Reforms: Rolling smoking ban and NHS long-term workforce plan. Charles puts the nail in the coffin for smokers’ freedoms…
• Leasehold Changes: Making it easier to purchase freeholds and avoid charges.
• Holocaust Memorial: Plus a learning centre in Victoria, both to be approved by legislation.
• Justice Reforms: Tougher sentences and new powers for police and new laws to protect public premises.
• Small Boats: Add-ons to the Illegal Migration act to stop “dangerous and illegal” small boats.
• A few commitments: Foreign policy commitments on Nato and the Middle East, protecting the climate and biodiversity, and announcing upcoming government events.

Thin gruel in campaigning terms for the election ahead…