As the curtain comes down on Sir Keir Starmer’s Government, the final week in office saw the progress of legislation which the outgoing PM will hope forms his legacy.
British Steel nationalised
The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill had its Third Reading on Monday, and the Commons considered Lords amendments on Tuesday. Following this, the legislation received Royal Assent on Wednesday, leading the Government to confirm on Thursday that British Steel has been nationalised.
In another world, this could have represented the start of a new era for the Starmer Government.
In the wake of May’s local election results, the PM pledged to nationalise British Steel in a speech that was seen as his last chance to convince Labour MPs that he should remain in his position.
Unfortunately for Sir Keir, this did not work, and the nationalisation will instead form part of the legacy of his time in Number 10.
Hillsborough Law progresses to Lords
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, colloquially known as the Hillsborough law, completed its Commons passage this week. The legislation, which imposes a duty of candour on public authorities and officials, had stalled due to a disagreement as to how the duty would apply to the intelligence services.
However, a compromise was reached, allowing the legislation to progress to the Lords before Starmer stands down. Starmer has long argued that the legislation is of great personal importance, and, in an unusual step, he led the Third Reading debate for the Government.
His replacement, Andy Burnham, also contributed, aptly demonstrating that the issue is one that will feature in the legacy of both (Burnham launched the Hillsborough Independent Panel when he served as Culture Secretary in the Brown Government).
Immigration headache awaits Burnham
Net migration has plummeted under the Starmer Government. Though this is arguably driven by policies implemented by the previous Conservative Government, Starmer has taken credit and has sought to embed it as one of his achievements in office.
The issue remained prominent right to the end, with the Immigration and Asylum Bill having its Second Reading this week.
Though the general principles of the Bill were all that was being debated, Andy Burnham has allegedly come to a compromise with the Home Secretary on some of the legislation’s more controversial measures on retrospective changes to indefinite leave to remain.
Despite this, 14 Labour MPs voted against the Bill, with many others abstaining. Burnham will likely face further opposition as the legislation progresses through the House, representing one of the first key headaches of his premiership.
What’s next
Now, attention will shift away from Parliament and towards a new Government. With Andy Burnham set to be confirmed as Labour Leader today (17 July), Sir Keir Starmer will formally tender his resignation to His Majesty King Charles III on Monday. Following this, Andy Burnham will be invited to form a Government.
Cabinet appointments are expected to be confirmed on Monday 22 July, with the wider ministerial team expected to be appointed later in the week.
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