QUEEN’S SPEECH 2021 A Cicero/AMO Analysis 11 May 2021
The Queen’s Speech 2021 A Cicero/AMO Analysis - 11 May 2021 The Queen’s Speech - marking the State Opening of Parliament and setting out the Government’s legislative agenda for the Parliamentary session ahead – has been delivered amongst a flow of good news for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The local elections last week saw the Conservative Party win the seat of Hartlepool for the first time since its creation and take over control of around 15 more councils, with roughly 200 extra Conservative councillors overall. Yesterday the Prime Minister was able to give the country the go ahead for the next stage of the roadmap out of lockdown, allowing groups to make use of indoor hospitality and people to hug their loved ones again. It therefore was not a surprise to see a jubilant Boris Johnson bouncing on his feet as the Queen announced the legislation his Government will bring forward this year. After the last Queen’s Speech focused on delivering Brexit, and significant Parliamentary time has since been taken up handling the Coronavirus crisis, this Queen’s Speech offered the Government the opportunity to signal it is getting back on track with its manifesto commitments made in 2019. A significant proportion of the speech was dedicated to the Government’s levelling up agenda. The Government plans to enable lifelong learning through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, extend 5G mobile coverage through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, authorise the next phase of HS2 through the High Speed Rail Bill, and deliver on its manifesto promise to build 300,000 new homes a year by reforming the planning system to make it “simpler, faster and more modern”. This goes some way towards signalling the policy behind the oft-used phrase, but the real detail is still to be expected in a Levelling Up White Paper to be published later this year. Ahead of COP26 later this year, the Government has attempted to signal its green credentials, reintroducing the Environment Bill that began its Parliamentary passage in the previous session and sets binding environmental targets. The Government will also bring forward a number of bills related to animal welfare – perhaps a nod to Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds’ influence. The Government will also have the opportunity to extol the benefits of Brexit through the Subsidy Control Bill, which will set out a new, post-Brexit regime for state aid. Freeports - low-tax zones featuring simplified planning rules that aim to serve as hubs for high value manufacturing and innovation - will be codified in the National Insurance Contributions Bill. A Procurement Bill will also simplify procurement in the public sector, giving small and medium-sized companies greater opportunities to secure Government contracts and allowing the public sector to ‘buy British’ when the deals are not subject to international trade rules. Among the announcements that have dominated early commentary on the speech, the Government is also proposing a series of constitutional reforms. The planned repeal of the Fixed Terms Parliament Act has already sparked the Westminster rumour mill that the next general election could be held in the spring of 2023, earlier than the current timeline of spring 2024. The Electoral Integrity Bill, which proposes registered voters will need to take ID when casting votes in elections, is already proving controversial with concerns that it may supress turnout and risks being discriminatory. Lastly, the Judicial Review Bill will seek to redress what the Government views as an imbalance between the executive and the judiciary, following a number of controversial Brexit court cases that bled into the political arena.
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Despite the packed agenda set out, some sectors will be disappointed not to see concrete legislative plans. The Government promised to fix the social care crisis before the next election, but the Queen’s Speech announces a Health and Care Bill focused only on NHS reform. Proposals on social care reform will be “brought forward” - a somewhat vague promise for those eagerly awaiting the detail. Campaigners have been waiting for the online safety bill since the last Queen’s Speech, yet it is still only promised in draft form. Similarly, a draft victims bill has been announced but as Labour have been quick to point out, has been promised in almost every Queen’s Speech since 2016 and still has yet to appear in Parliament. Overall, the Government has announced 30 Bills it plans to bring forward in this session. With the size of the Government’s majority, this relatively ambitious agenda should in theory be plain sailing. However, as Parliament returns in full form after a year of virtual hybrid arrangements, a large cohort of MPs will be navigating life in Westminster for the first time. Working groups of backbench MPs have had the chance to form without the strong arm of the Whips to keep MPs in line, and as we saw with the backlash the Government received to the Internal Markets Bill, a majority of 80 can quickly start to feel uncomfortable. Boris Johnson will have to work hard to convince his backbenchers that the entirety of his legislative agenda is worth their support.
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Next section Bills being carried over from the previous Parliament 3
The Queen’s Speech 2021 A Cicero/AMO Analysis - 11 May 2021 This paper provides an overview of the key Bills announced in the Queen’s Speech. If you would like to speak to the Cicero Legislative Affairs Team on any of the below legislation or any other Bills included, please do get in touch.
Bills being carried over from the previous Parliament Environment Bill First introduced in the previous Parliament, this Bill is a key part of the Government’s environment agenda – identified by Ministers as a major policy priority ahead of COP26 later this year. The legislation requires the Government to set legally binding targets across air quality, water, biodiversity, and resource efficiency and waste reduction. The Bill also aims to assist communities in preparing for adverse weather changes caused by climate change.
Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill Originally the brainchild of Dominic Cummings, this Bill seeks to create a new Advanced Research and Invention Agency. The proposed agency would be based on the model of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the United States, and would fund long-term scientific research, including “high risk, high pay-off” cutting edge technologies. The Government has previously briefed that the agency will have a high tolerance of failure and a large degree of autonomy, enabling it to pursue research that is untenable under the current scientific funding system.
Finance Bill Introduced in the last Parliamentary session, the Finance Bill legislates for the key tax changes announced in the 2021 Budget. This includes future changes to corporation tax, extensions of the stamp duty holiday and a new ‘super deduction’ to support business investment.
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Telecommunications (Security) Bill The Telecommunications (Security) Bill was introduced following the Government’s decision to restrict the role of the Chinese state-owned company Huawei in the UK’s 5G infrastructure. This follows increased concerns of the security implications of Chinese investment in core UK assets. As such, the Bill will introduce a new framework for UK telecoms networks to increase their security and resilience.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill The Government has introduced the Bill to address what it sees as the imbalance between the individual right to protest and the interests of society. This followed recent high-profile protests, such as those organised by Extinction Rebellion, that Ministers believe have had a disproportionate impact on small businesses, residents and local communities. The legislation carried over to this session is designed to update the measures allowed to deploy effective policing of these protests, although has led to significant backlash, with critics arguing it unduly restricts the right to protest.
Next section Bills introduced in the Queen’s Speech 5
Bills introduced in the Queen’s Speech Levelling Up and making the most from Brexit
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill Investing in skills and post-16 education is an existing priority of the current Government and forms a central part of the wider ‘levelling up’ agenda, to improve regional economic development and open alternative routes for training and apprenticeships. Ministers will hope that the legislation’s offer of a “lifetime skills guarantee” and renewed focus on adult learning can lead to tangible changes in the prospects of those seeking an alternative to University education, or who are struggling to progress in their current professions.
Planning Bill Potentially one of the most controversial Bills in the upcoming Parliament, this legislation looks to reform current planning rules to expedite building projects, particularly relating to housing. Although seeking to address housing supply is a key policy objective for the Government, the legislation is likely to be contentious for many Conservative MPs, regarding the local impacts of expedited building projects.
Subsidy Control Bill The recently signed Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) allows for the UK - now outside of the EU - to establish a new subsidy control regime, including a new independent body to oversee state aid policy. The Subsidy Control Bill will provide the legal framework within which public authorities can make subsidy decisions. This follows a consultation on the subject earlier this year.
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Procurement Bill The issue of procurement has risen up the political agenda following the COVID-19 pandemic. This is following sustained media reporting on the lack of transparency in the Government’s current procurement processes, with criticism that public money was not always correctly spent. Moreover, reforming the way in which the Departments and Agencies outsource services has been identified as a key priority of the Government’s wider civil service reform agenda. The Government will also hope that the Bill provides new opportunities for smaller firms to compete for public sector contracts.
National Insurance Contributions Bill (Freeports) As part of plans to ‘level up’ the Government has committed to the introduction of Freeports. In his March Budget, the Chancellor announced that eight Freeports will be created in England with ongoing discussions around more Freeports in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Freeports are designed to offer a mixture of customs flexibilities: from relief on import duties, to modified tax and regulatory measures to incentivise private investment.
Wider Legislation Draft Online Safety Bill Promised in draft form this session, legislation on online harms has been in the pipeline for over two years, since the Government first published a White Paper on the topic in April 2019. Principally, the legislation will introduce new legal requirements for online companies, regarding keeping people safe when they use the internet – including a new “Duty of Care” for internet users, particularly children. The Bill has gathered media attention in recent months, due to the legislation placing obligations on online safety directly onto online companies, with financial penalties for failing to comply. This has led to widespread reporting that the legislation could lead to large tech companies, such as Facebook, facing fines of up to 10% on global turnover.
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Health and Care Bill The previous Coalition Government passed a series of controversial reforms under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act passed in 2012, (more widely known as the ‘Lansley Reforms’), which involved a major restructuring of the NHS. The new Health and Care Bill will undo large parts of the previous Act and introduce more central Government ‘control’ of the NHS. The Bill will be a cornerstone piece of legislation, in terms of the Government’s post-COVID agenda.
Dormant Assets Bill Of importance to the financial services industry, this Bill would expand the Dormant Assets Scheme to include insurance and pensions. The Government’s objective is that such an expansion of the scheme would unlock further funds for environmental and social initiatives, directly supporting charities and voluntary organisations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Counter-State Threats Bill The Government announced it will put forward a new Bill to counter hostile activity by foreign states and implement the results of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development, and Foreign Policy, released in March this year. This followed instances such as the Salisbury poisonings in 2018, widely believed to be sanctioned by the Russian State. Although these poisonings resulted in the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and intelligence officers from the UK, the new Bill seeks to further strengthen the Government’s powers in this area.
New Plan for Immigration Legislation This Bill follows a Home Office consultation, published in March 2021, on a ‘New Plan for Immigration’ for the UK. The Government intends the Bill to deter illegal entry into the UK and make it easier to remove from the UK those who are in the country illegally. Reforming immigration and reducing numbers of illegal immigrants has been a key policy priority of the Government, in particular Home Secretary Priti Patel. This issue has also risen up the political agenda, following the increase in migrant crossing being made in the English Channel over the last twelve months.
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Constitutional reform Electoral Integrity Bill In a bid to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’, the Government is introducing an Electoral Integrity Bill which is set to introduce the requirement that voters present some form of identification, such as a driving licence, passport, or even library card at the polls. The Government intends that the introduction of Voter ID will increase confidence in the electoral process but trust in the system could potentially be undermined if the new rules are perceived to discriminate and potentially restrict voting for groups such as lower income voters and ethnic minorities.
Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 set in legislation that the length of time between General Elections should be five years. The Act also transferred the power to call an early election from the Prime Minister to MPs. This new Bill will repeal those provisions and once again grant the dissolution prerogative to the Prime Minister. The Bill enters Parliament at a time when speculation is rife that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will call an early election before the five-year term expires in 2024.
Judicial Review Bill This Bill seeks to address a key concern for many Conservative MPs: ensuring that there are clearer boundaries between legal and political questions and restricting the ability of the judiciary to intervene in what are perceived as purely political matters. This has risen-up the agenda for the Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in 2019 to overturn the Prime Minister’s decision to prorogue Parliament; a decision which was criticised by many Conservatives as a direct intervention into the democratic process.
Next section MP Twitter activity
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MP Twitter activity Number of Tweets 8 7
Statement Begins
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Total Tweets
5 4 3 2 1 0
Conservative
Top Keywords
Labour
Others
Most Used Emojis
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Key Tweets Alicia Kearns MP @aliciakearns Queen’s speech today sends a very powerful message: love is not a pathology & it does not need treating. LGBTQ+ so-called #ConversionTherapy is little more than bigotry & quackery packaged up by sinister charlatans to snare and profit off the vulnerable 1/ #BanConversionTherapy David Lammy MP @DavidLammy .@BorisJohnson’s government is prioritising: - Voter suppression - Reducing the power of the courts - Watering down Judicial Review and Human Rights The @Conservatives are not levelling up the country. They are bringing us down by tearing out the foundations of our democracy. Tim Farron MP @timfarron We seem to have a Government distracted by problems that do not exist like voter fraud, while ignoring the very real issues of the social care crisis, the cancer backlog, the explosion in second home ownership and the plight of the #excluded 3 million. #QueensSpeech For more information about Cicero/AMO’s digital services please contact james.donald@cicero-group.com
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Get in touch... If you would like to speak to us about this document or how we can help support your organisation and its public affairs objectives, please do not hesitate to contact the Cicero/AMO Legislative Affairs Team:
Charlotte Adamson - Head of Legislative Affairs charlotte.adamson@cicero-group.com +44 (0)20 7947 5323
Omar Rana - Senior Account Manager omar.rana@cicero-group.com +44 (0)20 7297 5962
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