Police are to tackle the epidemic of shoplifting of “minor” goods, which has reached record levels, while also taking action against knife violence. The King’s speech is expected to outline a tough crackdown on crime.
Police are to deal with a crackdown on shoplifting in Britain, announced in the King’s Speech.
The Labour Party will seek to consolidate its position on law and order by introducing new laws and reversing changes made a decade ago that classified thefts under £200 as “minor”.
The controversial so-called “Shoplifting Charter”, together with the poor economic situation, is blamed for the record increase in shoplifting.
Retail executives complained that shoplifting had effectively been “decriminalized” in April when new data showed In the period up to December 2023, the police recorded 430,104 crimes. This figure is more than a third (37 percent) higher than in the previous twelve months (315,040).
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this is the highest number since records began in 2003, and retailers have moved to attach security tags to low-value items and everyday objects.
It is one of a number of measures aimed at restoring public confidence in policing under the new Labour government.
In addition, new legislation to combat “zombie knives” is expected to fulfill a promise made during the election campaign.
Last week, Sir Keir met again with Luther and The Wire actor Idris Elba, who campaigns against knife crime, after they held talks during the election campaign.
They met on Friday at a meeting hosted by the King at St. James’s Palace, which was also attended by Charles.
Labour has also announced plans to introduce a “neighbourhood policing guarantee” that would appoint an officer in every community to be responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour.
In April, Sir Keir backed the Mail’s campaign for a tougher crackdown on attacks on staff, saying: “The public is rightly outraged at the level of lawlessness on our high streets.”
“The Mail is absolutely right to call for a tougher crackdown on shoplifting and a tougher crackdown on attacks on workers. Labour will deliver on both demands. As part of our mission to take back our streets, we will reverse the Tory charter on shoplifting.”
“The changed Labour Party that I lead knows that respect for the rule of law is paramount. As our country’s former Attorney General, I know that we can only deliver justice to victims and prevent crime if the police are visible on patrol and people have a legal system they can believe in.”
What else could be in the King’s speech on Wednesday?
Ahead of the King’s speech on Wednesday, the government said it would put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda.
More than 35 bills are expected to be announced as Labour seeks to maintain momentum and define its first 100 days in power as a time of positive progress.
Budgetary discipline
The government has promised to tighten spending rules to “secure economic growth” and prevent a repeat of the chaos that occurred during Liz Truss’s time as prime minister.
A new bill aims to strengthen the role of the economic oversight agency, the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, and ensure that important budget decisions are carefully scrutinized.
Further decentralization
The government plans to “strengthen the power of the regions” by devolving more powers to local and regional leaders “who know what is best for their area”.
Mayors and city councils are expected to be given more control over powers, energy, planning and transport, including bus routes and fares.
Local governments, including mayors, have long called for new powers and greater flexibility to drive growth and improvement.
National Wealth Fund
The Government has said the King’s Speech will also include legislation to implement last week’s announcements, including the launch of the National Wealth Fund, which aims to attract billions in private investment to support British growth.
Boost for clean energy
The government also pointed to the new “mission control centre” which will drive forward the plan to supply the UK with cheaper, cleaner energy by 2030.
In terms of legislation, the government will likely seek to initiate the process of establishing a state-owned company, GB Energy, to oversee investments in large-scale projects that facilitate the decarbonisation of the electricity grid.
Planning and infrastructure
As part of its efforts to build 1.5 million homes within five years, the Government is considering reforming national planning policy, including reintroducing binding housing targets for local authorities.
In order to achieve housing development targets, planning permission is required for some areas currently designated as green belt.
In addition, measures could be taken to speed up the approval processes for major infrastructure projects.
Revitalization of the rail
One of the most important priorities is railway reform. The government plans to renationalise almost all passenger rail transport within five years.
It is expected that a new public body established by primary legislation will take over the existing railway contracts after their expiry.
Skills development focuses on large companies
According to the Times, the government is planning a law to promote vocational skills. This will replace the training levy imposed by large companies with a “growth and skills levy”, according to the newspaper.
The bill reportedly also envisages the conversion of secondary schools into technical colleges.
Border security
The government is currently preparing a legislative initiative to introduce new powers along the lines of counter-terrorism and measures to combat organised immigration crime.
This will be a central element of the new UK Border Security Command, which will bring together the work of the National Crime Agency, intelligence agencies, police, immigration and border agencies.
Reform for tenants
Labour wants to introduce a tougher version of the tenant reform bill that failed after Rishi Sunak called the general election.
The revised bill is expected to retain a ban on no-fault evictions. The measure was already included in the previous government’s legislation, but its implementation was expected to be delayed.
Further measures to strengthen tenants’ rights are likely, including the ability to challenge high rents and poor standards.
Crime and police work
An expected crime and policing bill will reportedly include a ban on zombie-style knives.
Other measures could include new bans on social behavior and tougher penalties for shoplifting.
Labour has also announced plans to introduce a “neighbourhood policing guarantee” that would appoint an officer in every community responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour.
Workers’ rights
Labour’s groundbreaking bill to strengthen workers’ rights, dubbed a “New Deal for Working People”, is set to be confirmed on Wednesday.
The measures include a ban on zero-hour contracts, the granting of workers’ rights immediately upon starting work and tougher action against the practice of “layoffs and rehires”.
Help for mental health
The Labour Party has promised to reform mental health law, with the Prime Minister seeking to overhaul current rules that leave around 120,000 children waiting six months or more for treatment after being referred.
In addition to the planned improvements to the law, the government aims to provide 8,500 specially trained mental health professionals, establish support services in all schools and provide access to early intervention services in every community.
Quit smoking
Labour is expected to revive the previous government’s proposal to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying tobacco products.
The bill enjoyed bipartisan support, but ran out of time at the end of the last legislative session.
Martyn’s Law
Labour has promised to propose Martyn’s Law, which aims to improve safety in public places and is named after Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett.
A bill that would have required venues to prepare for terrorist attacks was dropped in May.
On the opposition side, Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would introduce the bill as a priority.
Constitutional reform
According to reports, Labour plans to introduce a bill to reform the House of Lords based on its election promise, which would include, among other things, the mandatory retirement of peers at the age of 80 and the removal of hereditary peers.
Other possible measures could include extending the right to vote to 16-year-olds and proposals to redraw constituencies based on population rather than the number of registered voters.
Football governance
The Labour Party manifesto promised the establishment of an independent regulator for English football. Although this was a policy position of the previous government, it was never implemented.
Measures for AI
According to the Financial Times, the government is expected to introduce a bill to create binding rules for the development of artificial intelligence. The law will improve legal protections, with a focus on general-purpose technologies underlying AI products such as ChatGPT, the newspaper said.
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