UK’s Labour vows planning reform and clean energy transition as King’s Speech reveals key policies

The U.K.’s new Labour Government on Wednesday laid out a number of proposed laws, including nationalizing rail operators and creating a publicly owned clean energy company.

In a speech given by King Charles III, on behalf of the government, it said that it was “committed” to a clean-energy transition that would lower bills over time for consumers. It also announced that Great British Energy with its headquarters in Scotland will be established to accelerate investment in renewable energies such as offshore winds.

Many of the proposals listed in the speech have already been made public. Labour announced that it would reform the planning rules in order to speed up infrastructure projects and housing construction, increase the power of the U.K. water regulator, and give police more authority to combat anti-social behaviour.

The speech was again dominated by a pledge to economic growth, which in its opening lines is described as a “fundamental goal” that will help the country overcome the crisis of cost of living.

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Charles said that the government will “seek the establishment of appropriate legislation” to place requirements on the people who are working to develop the strongest artificial intelligence models. He was referring to general-purpose AI system being developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI.

As has been the case for many years, the monarch announces the new policy agenda of the government following the pompous ceremony that marks the State Opening Parliament. The king and queen Camilla had travelled by horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace in the early morning to Westminster.

The speech was written by the British government and read by the monarch. In modern times, the monarch is a symbol of political power. The speech is only a statement and not legally binding.

Labour’s left-of-center party won a landslide majority in parliament earlier this month. It took control of the country from the right-wing Conservatives for the first 14-year period.

The government said that it was committed to the gradual increase of the legal smoking age, and the crackdown on vape products.

The speech on Wednesday also mentioned a bill that would facilitate the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel. It also called for a reduction in National Health Service wait times, the banning of “exploitative work practices” and the strengthening of corporate governance and auditing.

The speech described the devolution of powers to various nations in the U.K. as “the heart of a dynamic, modern economy.”

The Metropolitan Police in London announced on Wednesday that they had arrested 10 suspects suspected of disrupting the event.