LDN Weekly – Issue 325 – 17 July 2024 – 40 Bills

40 BILLS

Dear Reader,

British politics loves an eponymous legacy. Amendments (see Dubs, Rooker-Wise) formulas (see Barnett), political party funding (see Short, Cranborne) and then there are good old conventions, on which our constitution relies heavily. Lord Salisbury (or to give him his full title, the Third Marquess of Salisbury) lent his name to one such convention which might well become rather critical to Keir Starmer’s government in the coming months. The Salisbury Convention states that the House of Lords should not oppose government legislation promised in an election manifesto.

Today saw the unveiling of the new Labour Government’s legislative priorities for the first session of this Parliament. The King’s Speech includes 40 bills and draft bills – all of which Keir Starmer hopes will take the brakes off Britain. This might seem a large number – particularly given accusations levelled at Labour during the election campaign that the party was rather light on policy commitments. Also, in a historical contest, 40 is a lot – in 1997, the incoming Labour Government’s Queen’s Speech committed to ten bills, and the Coalition Government in 2010 it was 24.

With such a large majority in the House of Commons, Labour is right to be confident about MPs passing legislation without much difficulty. But the House of Lords is a different kettle of fish – Labour Lords and Baronesses are outnumbered by opposition and cross-bench peers. Hence why the Salisbury Convention comes into play – Labour will want to be able to draw a clear line back to mentions in the party’s manifesto for all of the bills in today’s King’s Speech.

Some reports also suggest that bills will be deliberately kept short and punchy – all power to Labour’s elbow on this, as there is a habit for Christmas Tree bills (huge pieces of primary legislation on which many baubles can be hung), requiring months of parliamentary time. Keeping them short will contribute to the new regime’s desire to make progress quickly.

It’s also true that a packed legislative programme, fuelled by the enthusiasm of the new government and making the most of a honeymoon period of uncertain length, is a great way to keep Labour’s 414 MPs busy – not all can be ministers or sit on select committees. The devil can make work for idle hands – pushing through new legislation at pace is one way of keeping Beelzebub at bay.

Further down in LDN, we summarise some of the big ticket items in today’s King’s Speech. Much has been trailed in advance – little will come as a surprise. I suspect there will be quiet disappointment in some circles at the level of ambition for London – proposals on devolution amount to levelling up beyond the M25 to London’s devolved powers, despite the capital comparing poorly to similar sized cities abroad in terms of the amount of control over its own affairs.

Local government leaders will see little to ease their sleepless nights worrying about balancing their budgets. Commitments to speed up planning – while welcome - won’t help developers with the immediate unviability of schemes in the capital. Plans for the railways leave many questions on whether devolving commuter services to TfL is all signals go or has hit the buffers.

Labour are finding how the realities of government are very different to opposition – conflicting centrifugal and centripetal forces see the desire to devolve pulled in the opposite direction by the urge to be controlling from the centre. But no bills have yet been published in full, so it’ll be a while yet until we know the exact details of what is proposed. Might the realities of a 174-seat majority behind them coax Labour out of their shell to be bolder in government than they hinted at in opposition? Time will tell.

Nick Bowes, Managing Director, Insight

nb@londoncommunications.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN-TRAY

New Government, new programme: Today’s King’s Speech sees the new Government outline their legislative priorities for the coming session of Parliament. In total, 39 bills and draft bills were announced – a packed legislative programme to squeeze into the next year. What are some of the main take aways for London?

Last Train to London: Commitments to create Great British Railways and bring into public ownership the operation of the railways poses questions about how that and the desire to devolve control of commuter rail to TfL will work in practice.

Royal London: Legislation needed to deliver a Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Gardens survives the change of government and a Crown Estate Bill looks to give more power to the body to borrow money to invest in contributing towards green energy generation and housebuilding.

These Dreams: The English Devolution Bill appears, on the face of it, rather disappointing for London. Proposed new powers would bring devolved authorities beyond the M25 up to the level of the Mayor of London, rather than a more much ambitious settlement that would also see more decentralisation of power from Whitehall to City Hall and London’s boroughs.

We Built This City: Many of the big flagship planning reforms, such as reinstating housing targets and reviewing of Green Belt, will come from a revised National Planning Policy Framework, a consultation on which is promised by the end of July.

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now: Nevertheless, Sadiq Khan responded by describing the King’s Speech as ‘refreshing’ and a ‘significant change of approach after years of London being held back’ - words which could mask how much harder it is to publicly express unhappiness when your own side is in charge!

Resurrection: The Renters Reform Bill is revived, after dying a death in the wash up at the end of the last government. This would abolish no fault evictions, but go further than the Conservative bill by introducing a right to challenge excessive rent increases and spreading Awaab’s Law to the private rental sector. Leasehold reform is also back – in the form of a draft bill for now – suggesting the Government is seeking further consultation on their plans to implement in full the Law Commission recommendations. But as with the Renters Reform Bill, the new Government is committed to going further than the last government.

Rayner’s Gain: As well as the King’s Speech, Labour’s promised blizzard of early activity is seeking to attempt to unlock stalled development and kickstart housebuilding. Straight out of the traps, Secretary of State at the renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner recovered two planning appeals for data centres in the Green Belt in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, one of which was reported to have originally been refused because it might ruin the view from the motorway’s bridges.

Rayner’s Crane: Another early test for Rayner will be what to do about Marks & Spencer’s plans for their Oxford Street store. Rayner’s predecessor Michael Gove originally refused permission for the demolition and redevelopment but this was ruled unlawful in March. Will she remove any remaining hurdles and allow the go ahead?

London’s calling: Keen watchers will be waiting to see what the new Government does on a number of fronts relating to London. First up, the inherited direction by Gove of the London Plan – will Angela Rayner cancel what was widely seen at the time as a politically-motivated move? No doubt Sadiq Khan will be hoping so.

Car parked: Will the new government lift the threat to TfL’s plans to develop tube station car parks? The previous government deployed clauses in the GLA Act originally designed to stop the tube being privatised to thwart TfL’s plans for homes on car parks in north London. Again, City Hall will be hoping for a quick green light from new Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh so Places for London can push ahead.

Off beam: City Hall will be looking for funding for key infrastructure that unlocks building new homes. Beam Park in Havering where thousands of new homes are in the pipeline, predicated on a new railway station, ran into difficulty because of uncertainty over the funding for the infrastructure. Might a solution be forthcoming?

Sadiq’s Shopping List: Also City Hall will be looking to Government for funding for the DLR extension to Thamesmead, the West London Orbital and the Bakerloo Line Extension – or, at the very least, money to keep development of the schemes alive.

Louise Vague: As well as more clarity on devolving commuter rail services to London, the Mayor and other stakeholders will be seeking more information on Euston given the stalled major redevelopment of the station and the mothballing of the HS2 tunnelling from Old Oak Common. With former Network Rail Chair Lord Peter Hendy now a transport minister and former Camden Council leader Georgia Gould a minister, might we expect movement soon?  

Below the belt: It is reported that Rayner will write to local councils instructing them to conduct reviews of Green Belt boundaries to identify potential ‘Grey Belt’ suitable for new development. With the Mayor previously opposing building on Green Belt in his 2016 and 2021 manifestos (although, noticeably, not in his 2024 manifesto), and having come to blows with some councils wishing to de-designate Green Belt in the past, watching how this plays out in London given the new political order will be fascinating to watch. Perhaps Khan’s approval of 300 homes on Green Belt just this week is a sign of the new world order?

Rayner’s Strain: With two major planning decisions looming for City Hall (the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon and Springfield Hospital, Tooting), might the cover afforded by a more interventionist Labour Secretary of State spur on City Hall to be more bold in granting permissions?

Camden Down: Newly-elected Labour MP for Queen’s Park & Maida Vale, Georgia Gould, has resigned as a Camden councillor, and therefore as Leader of the Council, with Pat Callaghan acting Leader until a successor is appointed. With a Full Council meeting scheduled for 22 July, all eyes will be on who takes over the reins, particularly as two other members of Camden’s Cabinet that were also elected MPs (Danny Beales and Lloyd Hatton) have also resigned as councillors.

Resignation Watch: No news yet on Jas Athwal MP and Nesil Caliskan MP, both recently elected as MPs for Ilford South and Barking respectively. Both are expected to resign as leaders of Redbridge and Enfield respectively, with Caliskan recently suggesting so to her local paper.

B&D: Just a few days after the Labour Party ended their investigation into allegations against his conduct, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council Darren Rodwell announced he is to stand down from his role in September (although stay on as a councillor). This comes after he withdrew at the last minute in June as the party’s parliamentary candidate for Barking.

By-elections: In total, by our reckoning, 19 sitting London local councillors are now in Parliament – 15 Labour, three Liberal Democrat and one Conservative. While there’s no rules against simultaneously being an MP and a councillor, the expectation is that most will resign, resulting in local council by-elections in the coming months. Over in Islington, an additional by-election has been triggered by a Labour councillor standing down after just two months in office.

London Councils: With the changes at the top of some of the boroughs, umbrella body London Councils sees Lambeth Council leader Cllr Claire Holland take over from Georgia Gould as Chair. This bright spot for Holland (who stepped up previously when Gould was on maternity) comes in the same week as her Chief Executive resigned following his arrest and charge a few weeks previously for driving and drug offences. Waltham Forest leader Grace Williams becomes Holland’s deputy, and takes on the housing and regeneration portfolio with Ealing’s Peter Mason leading on planning and skills.

• Camden Council has granted consent to London Tunnels Ltd’s plans to develop a deep-level subterranean visitor and cultural attraction, based in the wartime tunnels underneath High Holborn. The £220m plans, already granted approval from the City of London in June 2024, include the conversion of buildings on Furnival Street into a single structure, hosting a ground floor main entrance with a heritage and exhibition space.
  
  
• Berkeley Group has submitted revised proposals for its residential-led redevelopment at Borough Triangle in Southwark. Previous plans for the site included 838 homes (35% affordable) across six buildings up to 46 storeys, which has since been amended to adjust to new fire safety regulations on second staircases. The latest plans increase the number of homes to 892 (35% affordable) across four buildings between five and 44 storeys, along with nearly 39,000 sq ft of improved public realm.
  
  
• Ballymore and Places for London have submitted plans to Barnet Council to redevelop Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Edgware, delivering 3,365 homes (35% affordable), 465 student accommodation spaces, and 460,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space. The proposals include the delivery of nearly 12 acres of open space along with a 4.7-acre nature park at Deans Brook.
  
  
• DV5 Properties has secured planning consent from Islington Council to deliver a life sciences development near Coal Drop’s Yard, King’s Cross. The plans include the demolition of the current ‘underutilised’ buildings with a new one of 8 stories including 16,000 sqm of upper-floor lab-enabled space and 537 sqm of flexible community events space on the ground floor. 
  
  
• The Mayor of London has approved Hounslow Council and AGC Property’s plans to deliver 300 homes (40% affordable) on Green Belt land at Hanworth Park, Feltham. The plans include the restoration of the Grade-II listed Hanworth Park House and conversion into a community hub and heritage museum. The plans were approved by Hounslow Council in 2022 and were supported by local MP Seema Malhotra.
  
  
• Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s Cabinet has approved the adoption of the new Hammersmith Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document aimed at diversifying and redesigning central Hammersmith. The SPD includes plans to transform the public realm through new open spaces and transport routes, as well as a vision for redesigning Hammersmith Flyover into a ‘Flyunder’ tunnel, easing traffic congestion and opening up more space for around 2,800 homes (50% affordable).
  
  
• Aitch Group has secured planning permission from Bexley Council to deliver a new 1,250-home (15% affordable) neighbourhood on a disused brownfield site in Belvedere, providing over 5,000 sq ft for commercial uses and two acres of green space. The plans include 20 residential buildings up to eight storeys with green ‘living roofs’ and enhanced biodiversity across the public realm.

• Cllr Louise Brett (Northolt Mandeville) has been appointed the new Deputy Leader of Ealing Council, following the election of Deirdre Costigan as MP for Ealing Southall. She remains the Cabinet Member for Safe and Genuinely Affordable Homes, while Cllr Paul Driscoll (Northfield) takes the Climate Action cabinet portfolio.
  
  
• Dame Mary Archer has been appointed as Chair of Royal Parks for a four-year term, succeeding broadcaster and writer Loyd Grossman.
  
  
• Montagu Evans has appointed Alan Harris as Managing Partner, promoted from his role as Head of Advisory. Harris replaces Rob Bower who is stepping down after 10 years in March 2025.
  
  
• Avison Young has hired Matthew Williams as Associate Director in their London office. A chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Williams is leading on a range of complex and high-profile projects across London and joins the firm from Telford Homes where he was a Planning Manager.
  
  
• Bidwells has appointed Helen Newman as the new Group Head of Sustainability, joining from Fabrix where she held the position of Head of Sustainable Capital.
  
  
• Sarah Seddon has been reappointed as a Board Member at the Construction Industry Training Board for four years. She currently leads as People and Culture Director at Novus Property Solutions.
  
  
• Chief Executive of Lambeth Council, Bayo Dosunmu, has resigned following his arrest and charge for fleeing a traffic collision. Fiona Connolly has been appointed as acting Chief Executive while the council recruits a permanent replacement.
  
  
• Joanne Roney has stepped down as Chief Executive of Manchester City Council after seven years in post. She is to join Birmingham City Council as Managing Director.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, PART II

With all the pageantry of the King’s Speech and swearing-in now officially concluded, here’s more of London’s new faces finding their way around the corridors of Parliament.

• Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green (Labour, Majority: 4,581)
  A planning and environment lawyer by trade, Sarah Sackman previously fought the seat in 2015, before opting out during Jeremy Corbyn’s years (perhaps wisely so, in hindsight) before returning in 2024 and winning the seat from the Conservatives. Before she barely had chance to set up her new parliament email address, the Prime Minister appointed her Solicitor General, the second most senior legal role after Attorney General. Widely considered a rising star in the ranks of the new intake.
  
  
• Uma Kumaran, MP for Stratford and Bow (Labour, Majority: 11,634)
  Born to Tamil refugees in east London, Uma Kumaran sits as the new MP for the equally new constituency of Stratford and Bow, spanning the Olympic heart of Newham. She’s advised several high profile Labour figures including Brent East’s Dawn Butler, Sadiq Khan, and the now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, after fighting Harrow East for Labour in 2015 and most recently leading diplomatic relations at C40 Cities. A tough first few days for Kumaran as an MP after her husband suffered a stroke but is expected to make a full recovery.
  
  
• Daniel Francis, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Labour, Majority: 2,114)
  With over 20 years of councillor experience in Bexley, Daniel Francis last sought a parliamentary seat in 2021 at the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election, losing to incumbent Conservative Louie French. This time, he captured a seat that last elected a Labour MP in 2001. While Sarah Sackman brings the planning law experience, Francis has experience on the ground as a former Meeting Place director and experienced planning consultant. Will this lend him a hand in securing the DLR connection in his native Belvedere? Only time will tell…
  
  
• Luke Taylor, MP for Sutton and Cheam (Liberal Democrat, Majority: 3,801)
  LCA Insight may have underestimated the strength of feeling in Sutton and Cheam which gave local councillor Luke Taylor enough votes to grab the seat from the Conservatives. Joining the London MP newbie ranks, Taylor previously worked as a transport planning consultant and project manager. With Sutton’s high street undergoing a transformation and longstanding calls to extend the tram to Sutton, Taylor’s new seat of power and policy influence is just a Thameslink journey away…
  
  
• Bobby Dean, MP for Carshalton and Wallington (Liberal Democrat, Majority: 7,905)
  Sutton councillor Bobby Dean unseated the Conservative incumbent Elliot Colburn, who won the leafy green Sutton suburban seat in 2019 by only a few hundred votes. Dean returns with a healthy majority and a humble background, raised on a council estate as the son of a scaffolder and a cleaner. He works as a small business owner advising charities.
  
  
• Calvin Bailey, MP for Leyton and Wanstead (Labour, Majority: 13,964)
  Flying in with over 25 years of experience in the Royal Air Force, Calvin Bailey’s service to the country is unquestionable. Born in Zambia but raised in Plumstead, Bailey’s sense of community was shaped by his close friendship with Stuart Lawrence, the brother of Stephen Lawrence whose tragic murder in 1993 has long-shaped the politics of London. Bailey succeeds Leyton and Wanstead’s veteran Labour MP John Cryer, who is to become Lord Cryer. Bailey will bring a deep knowledge of the armed services with him to Labour’s benches.

WE RECOMMEND

• The Economist on the new frontline in British politics – Gail’s Bakery
• Mapped: what Labour’s ‘grey belt’ could look like
• City Hall to ‘consider’ extending DLR to Barking Riverside
• Newbie London MP Sarah Sackman gives her take on the first week in Parliament
• MedCity’s new London Lab Showcase Report 2024
• What London needs from the King’s Speech – BusinessLDN’s John Dickie in CityAM
• Works in Progress’s Sam Bowman on London’s role in tackling housing shortages

LABOUR'S BUSINESS RATES REFORM - WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL OPTIONS?

Our client, Avison Young, was featured in Drapers advocating for Labour’s business rates reforms. David Jones, Managing Director of Avison Young’s Business Rates Team, commented on the new Government’s pledge to replace the business rates system, emphasising the need for a phased reduction in uniform business rates and exploration of alternative income streams. Read the full piece here.

LDN CONTRIBUTORS 

LCA prides itself on its intelligence-led approach to PR and communications and our dedicated insight team monitors London politics, news and issues as it happens.

If you would like to know more about LCA or anything in this edition of LDN – London in short please get in touch. 

Nick Bowes

Managing Director, Insight

Robert Gordon Clark

Senior Advisor and Partner

Emily Clinton

Account Manager, Insight 

 Daniel Reast

Insight Executive

Design:  Aroa Maquedano Pulido:

We strive for balance and accuracy at all times; however, if you feel we have made a mistake, omission or have misrepresented a story or issue please alert the team by contacting the LDN team by using the details above.

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