Business leaders across the North have welcomed measures on transport and devolution included in today’s King’s Speech.
Today’s speech, the first such programme announced under a Labour government in 14 years, included measures from a Budget Responsibility Bill to measures covering pensions, planning and transport.
The English Devolution Bill aims to transfer powers from Westminster, while the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill will see train operations transferred to a public operator as contracts expire. Under the Railways Bill, a new public body, Great British Railways, would be created to oversee track and trains and planning services. Meanwhile the Better Buses Bill will allow local leaders to take control of bus services.
And under the High Speed Rail (Crewe to Manchester) Bill, the Government will not reverse Rishi Sunak’s decision to cancel the northern leg of the HS2 rail line, but will improve east to west rail connectivity across the north of England from Newcastle, through the North East and Yorkshire, to Manchester and Liverpool.
There are also measures on leasehold reform, renter’s rights and cybersecurity.
Jim O’Neill, chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The need for a stronger Office for Budget Responsibility with a broader role is critical, and must go further to ensure we make long term decisions which do raise productivity to indeed secure growth everywhere.
“To introduce a Council of Regions and Nations and a bill on English devolution continues the work, which began over ten years ago as part of the Northern Powerhouse project, of wide and most importantly deeper devolution. Within our rail network, improving integration as part of the local transport system in conurbations like Greater Manchester will mirror the success that Oyster had in London when introduced there.”
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Today, the new government has recommitted to the first part of a new line that along with upgrades to Hull and Sheffield will transform connectivity across the Pennines unlocking Liverpool to Newcastle.”
“From Manchester Piccadilly we will still need further powers to complete the line into Yorkshire, as well as from Huddersfield to Bradford, but this Hybrid Bill continuing is what needed to happen next in legislative terms and we have every confidence that the incoming government will work constructively with both civic and business leaders on this crucial agenda.”
Stephen Patterson, chief executive of NE1 , the Business Improvement District company for Newcastle city centre, , said: “As ever the devil will be in the detail. But on first review, we welcome the Government’s commitment to devolution.
“It was evident in his first few days in office that the prime minister was serious about giving power back to the regions by meeting with the metro mayors. The King’s speech today reinforced this commitment and highlighted that local leaders will be given devolved powers for strategic planning, local transport networks, skills and employment support which is great news for Newcastle and the wider North East region.
“It was also welcome news that the Government is ready to strengthen community policing, giving the police greater powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. Knowing that efforts will be channelled into tackling anti-social behaviour and improving the safety and security of public spaces will all be welcomed by Newcastle’s businesses and the local community.”
Jessica Bowles, director of strategic partnerships and impact at Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, said: “It has been great to see the new Government acting decisively and at speed since their election. The King’s Speech is clearly an ambitious programme and I am particularly pleased to see legislation proposed for further devolution, much needed changes to improve our railways and planning reform, which have been holding back the growth potential of the UK for too long.
“It is crucial that this pace and ambition is now matched with execution, but this is also where the greatest challenge lies. Ministers, government departments and local leaders must be fully aligned and prepared to think differently to ensure that we can deliver on these objectives over the coming weeks, months and years – ambition now needs to be matched with action.”
David Schiele, director of the Energy Innovation Agency in Greater Manchester, said: “The Energy Innovation Agency welcomes the introduction of the Energy Independence Bill and GB Energy as a measure to accelerate the electricity market reform needed so urgently.
“One of the biggest challenges we currently face is an unjust and unfair energy market pricing system that disproportionately taxes clean electricity generation and subsidies dirty fossil fuels. Gas
is still 3 or 4 times cheaper per unit of energy (kWH) and this is working against decarbonisation and net-zero efforts.
“We hope the Bill and GB Energy will enable creation of more local distribution networks and energy markets. This will reduce energy prices, such as in city-regions, where there is the most potential
to reap financial, business, social, and environmental benefits and truly accelerate decarbonisation of energy systems at the scale and pace needed to meet net-zero targets.”
Reaction to the bill’s employment measures
Ian MacArthur, Director of the GM Good Employment Charter, said: “We welcome the Employment Rights Bill that will bring the proposals contained in the New Deal for Working People into statute.
“The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter already covers many of the provisions that will be included in the Bill and Greater Manchester employers who have joined the Charter will be in a strong position to manage the impact of any new legislation. The Charter looks forward to supporting and working with the Government on the implementation of the new legal framework for raising employment standards.”
Michelle Leeson, the Growth Company’s managing director for employment, said: “The latest ONS figures show that an increasing number of people in the UK are classed as economically inactive.
“While there are several complex reasons behind this trend, we know from our work in the North of England that many people face significant barriers to work, including chronic ill health and a lack of relevant skills. It is therefore crucial that we all make a concerted effort to identify these barriers and provide targeted support to those who they affect.
“Some of the measures in today’s King’s Speech do just that. We look forward to working with the government and other stakeholders to help those who need it the most.”
Kate Palmer, employment services director at Manchester’s Peninsula, says “Whilst we are now waiting on the detail, it is clear that the brand-new Employment Rights Bill will impact every employer once it is in force.
“From banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, to making parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal available from day one for all workers, it will mean significant change for businesses. The Bill will also seek to reform trade union legislation – this is particularly interesting given the GMB union has just lost a vote from Amazon workers for union recognition.
“But it’s not just this new bill that’s on the way.
“Minimum wage will be transformed as the age bands currently in place will be removed and legislation on race equality will also be published.
“We now eagerly await the bills being laid before Parliament when the finer details will be debated but it is clear from the King’s speech that the new government are prioritising changes to employment rights and protections and that we are in a time of substantial change.”
Reaction to planning reforms
Simon Peacock, head of regions at property giant JLL, said: “Changes to the planning system will be the lifeblood of the economic growth the Labour government is targeting, but also crucial to addressing health and wellbeing inequalities the country faces because of housing shortages. That it has been outlined as a priority in this morning’s speech will be welcomed by the property industry and those supporting people in need of housing. Now the impetus is on action.
“Plans for a new council of the nations and regions and to make a success of the much-mooted industrial strategy will depend on a watertight masterplan for the planning system. This will need to set out commitments to investing in the number, and quality, of planners to support decision making, developing a stricter rules-based approach for applications and clear alignment on the priorities for land use.
“True reform’s never easy, but unlocking the planning gridlock will attract the investment needed to spur the economic growth Keir Starmer’s government is targeting.”
Mike Harrison, chief operating officer of Manchester’s Concretene, said: “We welcome planning reforms to speed up house building and specifically the wording in the King’s Speech around quality of build and investment in new technologies for sustainable growth.
“The urgency to act mustn’t be taken as an opportunity for temporary measures and we ask the Government to ensure that carbon performance and high quality of build are central to future planning consents. Support for innovation and new methods of construction – such as using nanomaterials to lower the carbon footprint of concrete – will enable us to create durable, energy-efficient homes to house people well into the next century.”
Liam Britnell, chief technology officer at Manchester’s Vector Homes, said: “As a company operating right at the intersection of house-building and technology, we were encouraged by the domestic policies outlined in the King’s Speech today on the government’s commitment to accelerating planning and fostering technological innovation.
“We are excited about how our new, low-carbon materials can support the government in delivering on these crucial goals.”
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Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber