Keir Starmer promises 35 new bills including new legislation to ‘devolve power’ to regions like Manchester

The new Labour government is working on more than 35 new bills that will be presented in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, with the main aim of generating growth for the UK.

It will include a new law to “devolve power” to the regions and a stronger role for the Office for Budget Responsibility, to avoid events like the Tory government’s disastrous mini-budget of September 2022, which tried to bypass the official watchdog to push through £45bn of unfunded tax cuts. The economy fell off a cliff and Liz Truss’s term as prime minister came to an end after just 49 days.

Outlining his programme for the next Parliament, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our work is urgent. There is no time to waste. We are getting to work immediately, bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long term – and our ambitious, fully-funded agenda is the down payment on that change.

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“From energy to planning to unbreakable fiscal rules, my government is serious about delivering the stability that will turbocharge growth and create wealth in every corner of the UK.

“The task of national renewal will not be easy, and this is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out in the King’s Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to working people’s lives.”

Economic growth is at the heart of Labour’s agenda, with government departments reportedly working on more than 35 bills to deliver an “ambitious parliamentary session”.

The legislation will include a bill to impose tough new spending rules, the government says, designed to ensure economic growth while avoiding “the chaos that has left families with mounting bills and caused suffering in people’s lives.”

The strengthening of the role of the Office for Budget Responsibility was created to “ensure that no one can play with public finances anymore”, according to the government.

Significant tax announcements will need to be “properly scrutinised and taxpayers’ money respected”, the government says.

The government has promised a “National Wealth Fund” to attract billions of pounds from the private sector for major infrastructure projects and a new “Mission Control” to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy by 2030. The government is looking to recruit a new “border security command” to stop people crossing the channel in small boats, an alternative to the last government’s now-doomed plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham will also be pleased to hear government promises that the legislation will “devolve power” to the regions to inspire growth outside the south-east.