Tories warn Rishi Sunak tax cuts must come in weeks after he unveils King’s Speech with ‘tough’ crime curbs and ‘illiberal’ cigarettes ban – but MPs slam lack of ‘big ideas’ and Keir Starmer says it is ‘not good enough’

• King Charles has delivered the ceremonial speech opening a new session of the Houses of Parliament 
• Follow all the latest developments relating to the King’s Speech on the MailOnline live blog here  

Rishi Sunak was warned he must bring forward tax cuts within weeks today after he unveiled a pre-election King’s Speech without ‘big ideas’.

The PM insisted the government is ‘rising to the challenge’ after the monarch laid out the legislative package for the next year – and almost certainly the last before the country goes to the ballot boxes.

The plans includes pledges to crack down on crime and ease the Net Zero ‘burden’ on Brits.

But there was immediate focus on what was missing from the speech, with a ban on conversion therapy apparently dropped after a Tory revolt. A commitment floated by Suella Braverman to stop homeless people using tents was also nowhere to be seen, while no mention was made of Mr Sunak’s push to end the ‘war on motorists’. 

Conservatives are also preparing to rebel over an ‘illiberal’ phased ban on cigarettes sales – with the age limit due to rise every year. And the prospect of hiking duty on vapes has been raised by the government, despite a growing clamour to reduce taxes.

Clashing with Sir Keir in the Commons debate after the speech, Mr Sunak said he was building for the ‘future’ and had ‘turned the corner’ on priorities such as stopping the Channel boats.

But Sir Keir said the government’s programme was not ‘anywhere near good enough’ and the public wanted to ‘turn the page’.

‘After all the chaos they have unleashed… this is the policy agenda put to the working people of this country,’ Sir Keir said. 

He berated Mr Sunak for not being a ‘serious PM’. ‘It’s been this way for 13 years now, a failure to seize the opportunities – perhaps even to see the opportunities,’ he said. 

One former minister told MailOnline there were ‘no big ideas’. ‘Still banging on about AI, which may be important but is hardly the basis of a strong retail offer to voters,’ they said. 

The MP warned that the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in a fortnight must be ‘better’ and include tax cuts. ‘We need some pro-growth measures,’ they added. 

Among the main measures in the Speech were: 

• Whole life jail terms to be the norm for most serious offenders, but more short sentences will be suspended;
• The worst criminals will be ‘compelled’ to attend sentencing, although it is not spelled out how;
• Sharing naked images without consent is to be made a criminal offence;
• Mr Sunak promised to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ with a law banning children currently aged 14 or under from ever buying cigarettes;
• Create an annual regime for licensing new oil and gas drilling the North Sea, something that has been rejected by Labour;
• Paving the way for driverless buses and delivery vans by 2035, including protecting passengers from being punished for crashes caused by computers;
• Curbing so-called ‘subscription traps’ that tie people into regular payments, and ‘drip pricing’ where companies bolt on costs to the up-front price they advertise; 
• Public bodies will be prevented from taking part in BDS boycotts of Israel, as a law makes progress on creating an Holocaust Memorial.

Clashing with Keir Starmer (right) in the Commons debate after the speech, Rishi Sunak (left) said he was building for the ‘future’ and had ‘turned the corner’ on priorities such as stopping the Channel boats

The King and Queen on the thrones in the House of Lords as the monarch opens the new session of Parliament

King Charles paid tribute to his ‘beloved mother’ Queen Elizabeth as he gave the speech for the first time as monarch. It was also first time since 1950 that it has been delivered by a King

Key points in the Speech 

Whole life jail terms to be the norm for most serious offenders, but more short sentences will be suspended;

The worst criminals will be ‘compelled’ to attend sentencing, although it is not spelled out how;

Sharing naked images without consent is to be made a criminal offence;

Mr Sunak promised to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ with a law banning children currently aged 14 or under from ever buying cigarettes;

Create an annual regime for licensing new oil and gas drilling the North Sea, something that has been rejected by Labour;

Paving the way for driverless buses and delivery vans by 2035, including protecting passengers from being punished for crashes caused by computers;

Curbing so-called ‘subscription traps’ that tie people into regular payments, and ‘drip pricing’ where companies bolt on costs to the up-front price they advertise; 

Public bodies will be prevented from taking part in BDS boycotts of Israel, as a law makes progress on creating an Holocaust Memorial.

King Charles paid tribute to his ‘beloved mother’ Queen Elizabeth as he gave the speech for the first time as monarch. It was also first time since 1950 that it has been delivered by a King. 

Tougher justice is at the heart of the programme, made up of 20 Bills and a draft Bill, that Mr Sunak hopes can close the yawning gap in the polls. 

It includes plans for killers convicted of the most horrific murders to get whole life orders – meaning they will never be released – while rapists and other serious sexual offenders will not be let out early from prison sentences. However, that is balanced by introducing a ‘presumption’ that sentences of a year or less will be suspended, with prisons already at breaking point. 

Other measures include giving police the power to enter a property without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as phones, when they have reasonable proof that a specific stolen item is inside. And there will be action to tackle the use of tech in crime, such as 3D printing templates for firearms.

The number of Bills in the Speech was the lowest since 2014, and included seven carried over from the previous session.

Mr Sunak said the public wants a Government that is more ambitious for the future, adding: ‘With this historic King’s Speech, we are rising to that challenge. We are changing our country for the long term, delivering a brighter future.’

What was not in the speech was also revealing.

Downing Street declined to say whether action to tackle people sleeping on the streets in tents would eventually be included in the Criminal Justice Bill.

The Bill, as set out in the King’s Speech, did not feature a proposal from Ms Braverman to ban charities from handing out tents to the homeless.

Asked whether that could still be added, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘It’s not for me to get into setting out the details of what will or will not be included.

‘We’ve set out our focus for this Bill already.

‘As with all these Bills, there will be further details set out when they are brought to the House.

‘We’ve said that no-one should be criminalised for having nowhere to live and we are repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act. We want to go as far as possible to ensure that those who are vulnerable can get the support they need and obviously at the same time cracking down on anti-social, intimidating or indeed criminal behaviour.’

There was also no inclusion of a Bill to ban so-called conversion therapy for LGBT+ people after Mr Sunak faced a backlash from some quarters of the Tory party.

Rail reform measures after Mr Sunak scrapped the HS2 leg to the North only made it as far as a draft in the speech setting out the Government’s legislative priorities.

Mr Sunak chatted happily with Sir Keir as they walked from the Commons to the Lords.

But they resumed hostilities in the House afterwards.

Sir Keir said: ‘What we have before us is a plan for more of the same, more sticking plasters, more division, more party first, country second gimmicks, and no repudiation of the utterly discredited idea that economic growth is something the few hand down to the many.

‘In fact, today we reached something of a new low, because they are not even pretending to govern any more. They have given up on any sense of service.

‘They see our country’s problems as something to be exploited, not solved and in doing this they underestimate the British people, because what Britain wants is for them to stop messing around and get on with the job.’

But Mr Sunak hit out at Labour’s spending plans as ‘dangerous’ and ‘inflationary’, and warned the ‘British people would pay the price in higher interest rates and higher taxes’. 

He pointed out that Sir Keir and the Labour front bench had campaigned to put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street. 

Black Rod went through the tradition of having the door of the Commons slammed in his face, before summoning MPs to hear the speech in the Upper chamber.

The routine underlines the supremacy of the lower House over the monarch, which was settled in the Glorious Revolution. 

Black Rod Sarah Clarke, walks through the Members’ Lobby at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords. The role has been held by Sarah Clarke since February 2018, making her the first female Black Rod in the 650-year existence of the role. The doors to the Commons chamber are  shut in the king’s face, in a practice dating back to the Civil War, to symbolise the Commons’ independence from the monarchy

The royal couple walked into the House of Lords hand-in-hand for their first experience of opening the Parliamentary session

Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla return to Buckingham Palace after the State Opening of Parliament 

The chamber of the Lords as peers wait for the King this morning

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer chatted happily as they walked through to the Lords from the Commons  

The Princess Royal arrives at the Sovereign’s Entrance at Parliament today 

Gentlemen at arms otherwise known as the ‘nearest guard’ take up positions in preparation for the arrival of the King

Senior Tories believe a focus on ‘bread and butter’ Conservative issues can help Mr Sunak as he seeks to overturn Labour’s massive opinion poll lead.

Mr Sunak’s allies think Sir Keir’s record as director of public prosecutions – something the Labour leader has often highlighted as a positive – could also be a point of weakness.

One No10 insider pointed at his 2010 support for a US-style system of first and second degree murder charges, the latter of which might not have attracted a mandatory life term.

The King’s Speech ran to 1,223 words, making it the longest at a State Opening of Parliament since 2005. 

A handful of noisy Republican protests took place outside of Parliament today

The Yeomen of the Guard arrived at the House of Parliament by coach this morning

Due to the late Queen’s long reign, it will be the first State Opening speech delivered by a King since George VI opened Parliament in 1950

More prison time for the worst violent and sexual offenders and new powers to haul criminals to court to face victims  

The announcement comes after serial killer neo-natal nurse Letby refused to attend her own sentencing for murdering babies in the summer. Many other criminals have also shunned key hearings because judges have few powers to compel them to leave their cells. 

Murderers who kill for sadistic or sexual thrills will die behind bars and violent criminals forced to face their victims in court under measures announced in today’s King’s Speech. 

A new sentencing bill would force judges to hand down whole-life orders for the most gruesome killings. Rapists and other sexual offenders would also have to serve their entire sentence behind bars, instead of half on licence.

Other measures include giving police the power to enter a property without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as phones, when they have reasonable proof that a specific stolen item is inside – such as data from a GPS tracker. 

Judges would also be able to force convicted criminals into court for sentencing. A new Criminal Justice Bill would allow the use of ‘reasonable force’ to get them into the dock, with the option of adding two years to their sentence if they refuse.

Yet controversially, criminals handed a sentence of less than 12 months are set to receive a suspended sentence and carry out unpaid community work instead as part of efforts to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis. 

This will be expected to cover most of the 37,000 offenders jailed each year for a year or less and include burglars, shoplifters, drug dealers and drink drivers but exclude criminals convicted of any sex, violent or terror offences.

The Tories have put crime and sentencing at the heart of their legislative programme for 2024, as they seek to make law and order a key dividing line with Labour.

As part of measures to tackle violence against women and girls, ministers plan to criminalise the sharing of sexual images without consent.

The Sentencing Bill will mean a whole life order will be handed down in the worst cases of murder, with judges having discretion to impose a shorter tariff only in exceptional circumstances.

The legislation would also ensure that rapists and serious sexual offenders serve the whole of their sentence behind bars, without being released early on licence.

It  would make being in a grooming gang an aggravating feature for sentencing, meaning tougher punishments for ringleaders and members.

A Victims and Prisoners Bill is set to give ministers the power to block parole for the worst offenders and ban them from marrying in prison.

Today the mother and aunt of murdered schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel welcomed plans to punish anyone who refuses to attend their sentencing hearing in court.

Reacting to the change in law, Cheryl Korbel, whose nine-year-old daughter was killed in a shooting last year, told Good Morning Britain: ‘It is a very important step forward. It will bring a little bit of comfort knowing that no other family will go through what we’ve been through.’

Cheryl and Olivia’s aunt Antonia Elverson set up the campaign ‘Face the Family’ to petition for a change in law after Olivia was killed.

Asked by Susanna Reid whether she backed calls for visiting rights to be denied, should prisoners refuse to listen to the sentencing, Cheryl said: ‘Too right. I can go visit my daughter, but all I’ve got to look at is a [head]stone. They can still see their families. It’s not right.’

Olivia died in August 2022 after Thomas Cashman opened fire when he chased another man into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk today said the planned criminal justice reforms, due to be set out in the King’s Speech, were about ‘head as well as heart’. He told Times Radio: ‘It’s something that I’ve been talking about for a long time because I’m a barrister by background, I’ve seen this stuff.

‘This is about head as well as it is about heart. This is about ensuring that I don’t want you, I don’t want your family, I don’t want my family, to be victims of crime.

‘So what I want to ensure is that people who are the greatest threat to you and your family are kept out of circulation for longer… but those who are capable of being rehabilitated should be rehabilitated. And that seems to me to be smart.’

The pledges come against a backdrop of soaring prison populations that have forced ministers to ask courts to delay sentencing hearings.

In October the prison population hit a record high for modern times, leaving just over 550 spare places in the system.

Figures showed there were 88,225 inmates behind bars in England and Wales in the middle of the month, up more than 200 in a week. It beat the previous peak of 88,179 set in late 2011, and is the highest total since modern records began in 1900. 

The Government has promised the largest prison building programme in 100 years to create more than 20,000 more places. 

Driverless buses and lorries could be on UK streets by 2035 

Driverless buses and lorries could be on the UK’s streets by the end of the decade under a new law ministers say could create almost 40,000 and improve road safety at the same time. 

The King unveiled plans for an Automated Vehicle Bill that will ease restrictions on new computer-controlled vehicles where humans are mere passengers. 

It will seek to over-ride fears about safety, arguing that by removing ‘human error’ to blame for many crashes it will actually make the roads safer.

And the legislation will include specific legal protection for passengers, with the company that owns the vehicle responsible for the way it drives. 

It could lead to a major expansion in driverless vehicle use, with applications in areas including grocery deliveries, farming and public transport.

A spokesman for the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for self-driving cars said: ‘It could mean AV (automated vehicle) companies operating commercial services to the public by the end of the decade, as regulations go through consultations and testing processes.’ 

Last year a trial of a driverless bus began in Scotland. There was chaos on the launch day of the vehicle nicknamed ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Driverless Machiney’, when one of the electric shuttles got lost.

Ministers argue that the market could be worth £41.7billion by 2035, and sustain a net creation of 38,000 jobs.

They also point out that human error was a factor in 88 per cent of all recorded collisions in Great Britain in 2021.

‘The bill gives immunity from prosecution when a self-driving vehicle is driving itself, given it does not make sense to then hold the person sat behind the wheel  responsible,’ a government briefing on the law said.

‘Non-driving responsibilities however will still remain with that person, such as maintaining appropriate insurance for the vehicle and ensuring proper loading, as well as responsibility during any part of the journey where the person is driving.’

As well as safety fears over crashes, concerns have been raised about whether autonomous vehicles could be hijacked.

Last month the Local Government Association’s Future Crime Horizon Scan said there was ‘particular concern’ about driverless vehicles.

It warned in a report that terrorists could hack into them to use them as weapons in horrific attacks.

Currently driverless cars are set to appear in 2025, but they will not be fully autonomous. 

The UK became the first European country to allow drivers on public roads to let go of steering wheels in April, after the Government gave manufacturer Ford permission to activate its BlueCruise system.

Although users can take their hands off the wheel, an infrared camera checks they are keeping their eyes on the road in case human intervention is required. 

Last year a trial of a driverless bus began in Scotland.

There was chaos on the launch day of the vehicle nicknamed ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Driverless Machiney’, when one of the electric shuttles got lost.

The launch was delayed after ‘technical glitches’ that saw the service have to be manually driven on October 2023.

The missing shuttle was stuck in one place for more than hour as its radar – which has lasers that help it figure out where it is, malfunctioned.

The butts stop here: PM to outline plan for rolling total ban on smoking based on New Zealand model

Rishi Sunak today formally announced bold plans to ban today’s children from ever being able to buy cigarettes, despite a Tory revolt over his ‘illiberal’ smoke-free ambition. 

If the law is eventually given the go ahead, kids born after 2009 will never legally be able to buy tobacco.

The Prime Minister has argued he is building ‘a better future for our children’. Health campaigners, experts and charities have all commended the move, described as the ‘biggest public health intervention in a generation’.

Yet the proposals, formally laid out in today’s King’s Speech, have been criticised as ‘ludicrous’ and ‘anti-Conservative’ by critics. A smoker’s group labelled the sweeping ban as ‘creeping prohibition’.

Vocal nay-sayers include former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak could also face a backlash action over the prospect of hiking duties on vapes, despite a growing clamour to reduce the tax burden. The government said it would be examining ‘the affordability of vapes, including exploring a new duty on vapes as other countries have done’. 

In his speech to Parliament, King Charles said that the Government would ‘introduce legislation to create a smoke-free generation by restricting the sale of tobacco… and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children’.

The Government defended tackling ‘the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health’ and wielded statistics claiming that smoking costs the economy £17billion a year through lost productivity and knock-on effects to the NHS.

Laying out its Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government said: ‘If we want to change the direction of our country and build a better future for our children, that means tackling the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death: smoking. 

‘The Bill will implement the hard but necessary decisions to get the country on the right path for the future. 

‘There is no more addictive product that is legally sold in our shops than tobacco.

‘And four fifths of smokers start before the age of 20 which is why stopping the start of addiction is vital.’  

But the plan, which Mr Sunak first unveiled at the Tory conference in September, has already faced fierce backlash from his own party. 

How dangerous is smoking for the heart? 

How does tobacco damage the heart?  

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels.

While nicotine – a highly addictive toxin found in tobacco – is heavily linked with dangerous increases in heart rate and blood pressure.

Smoking also unleashes poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood – reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart.

How many people does smoking kill?  

Smoking is known to kill more than seven million people across the world each year, including 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke.

But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes.

Former PM Truss — who demanded the Tories to ‘stop taxing and banning things’ — is set to vote against Mr Sunak’s plans when he offers a free vote to MPs on the issue in the House of Commons.

Boris Johnson, meanwhile, slammed the ‘barmy’ proposals last month. 

Writing in his Daily Mail column, he added: ‘We are proposing to criminalise yet another variety of ordinary behaviour, with no thought to the consequences for those who have to make it work.’ 

Former UKIP leader Farage also condemned the ‘stupid’ plan and warned it would just create a ‘black market’.

Mr Sunak today also doubled down on his plans to crack down on youth vaping, with the Government currently considering proposals to ban attractive flavours and packaging and regulating sale displays. 

Disposable vapes, a favourite of teenagers, also face being in the firing line.

The proposals — if implemented — would follow in the footsteps of countries including the US and Canada who already restrict flavours. 

The Government blames rules inherited from the EU, which it claims has led to a system where vapes are being routinely promoted and marketed to children at scale.

Funding packages of up to £140million to support people quitting smoking will also be made available from April, Mr Sunak announced. 

An additional £5million in 2023/24 and £15million until 2028/29 will also be set aside to fund national anti-smoking campaigns explaining the legislative changes, benefits of quitting and support available to smokers. 

The Bill will extend to England and Wales but apply only to England. 

The Government is ‘working closely’ with the devolved administrations on their own measures. 

Charities and experts say the smoking ban — which will effectively raise the age of tobacco sale by one year every year — will save tens of thousands of lives from preventable causes linked to smoking, such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: ‘Smoking rates fall when leaders take decisive action: that’s why we support the UK Government’s commitment to changing the age of sale of tobacco announced in the King’s Speech today. 

‘The Government should move to bring this legislation before Parliament in early 2024, and we call on MPs from all parties to support it.

‘I’ve never met anyone who wants their child to take up smoking. Cancer Research UK estimates that there are around 885,000 16–24-year-olds smoking in the UK today.’

Boost for North Sea oil and gas industry as Net Zero ‘burden’ eased  

Rishi Sunak used today’s King’s Speech to confirm plans to boost Britain’s oil and gas industry as he pursues a ‘pragmatic’ approach to reaching Net Zero.

The Prime Minister unveiled an Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill to help ‘safeguard’ the country’s energy supplies and support UK-based extraction of fossil fuels.

The proposed legislation aims to mandate an annual regime for licensing new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.

It follows Mr Sunak’s watering down of Britain’s Net Zero commitments, including pushing back the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2035.

The PM also recently vowed to ‘slam the brakes’ on the ‘war on motorists’ and hit out at ‘hare-brained’ schemes such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and widespread 20mph zones.

But, despite suggestions the King’s Speech would double-down on pro-car policies, today’s fresh legislative agenda offered few signs of a toughening of Mr Sunak’s crackdown.

The only hint of new action came in a promise to make local councils add the imposition of new speed limits, closed roads or fresh parking restrictions to a central database.

The Prime Minister unveiled an Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill to help ‘safeguard’ the country’s energy supplies and support UK-based extraction of fossil fuels

The Government is also promising to force local councils to add the imposition of new speed limits, closed roads or fresh parking restrictions to a central database

The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will cause trouble for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has vowed not to grant any new oil or gas licenses if he becomes PM.

The proposed legislation will require the North Sea Transition Authority to run an annual process inviting appolications for new production licenses in the UK’s offshore waters.

But this will only be if the UK is projected to remain a net importer of both oil and gas, and if the carbon emissions associated with the production of UK gas are lower than the average of equivalent emissions from imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Mr Sunak said: ‘The new Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will help to safeguard our energy independence and security, by backing North Sea oil and gas extraction, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.

‘Alongside this, we are working to secure record amounts of investment in renewable energy sources – building on the UK’s record for decarbonising faster than other G7 economies, while also changing the way we reach Net Zero by reducing the burden on working people.’

The Government is also planning a Automated Vehicles Bill to prepare Britain for the introduction of self-driving cars.

Away from its headline measures, the Bill also promises to digitalise Traffic Regulation Orders.

This will force local councils to send the legal orders they make – for example, to set speed limits, close roads and designate parking bays – to a central publication platform.

Ministers have promised this data will be used to create a digital map of the UK’s road network to support the safe operation of self-driving vehicles.

They also say it will help make parking easier for all drivers, by providing better information like the location and availability of parking spaces.

This aims to meet a Department for Transport promise that drivers should only have to download one parking app to their mobile phones in order to pay for parking wherever they are in the UK.

The ‘digital map’ of the road network could also assist drivers hoping to avoid LTNs or 20mph zones. 

Mr Sunak has angered green groups and some within his own party with his bid to boost North Sea oil and gas drilling.

Sam Hall, director of the Conservative Environment Network, said: ‘We will need oil and gas for the next few decades.

‘It is economically sensible to seek a fair transition, rather than a cliff edge, away from homegrown fossil fuel production.

‘But regardless of Government policy, it will not be possible to achieve energy security from North Sea oil and gas, where reserves are now depleted and expensive to extract.’

‘Oil and gas is one of the least popular parts of the Government’s energy policy.

‘A major political focus on new exploration could undermine voters’ perception of the Conservatives’ commitment to climate action before the general election.

‘It could also overshadow efforts to promote the party’s positive record on renewables which is not widely known and significantly more popular.’

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow energy security and Net Zero secretary, seized on Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho’s admission that the plans to mandate oil and gas licensing in the North Sea may not bring down household energy bills.

He said: ‘It is a stunning admission from this government that, during the worst energy bills crisis in generations, their flagship Kings Speech energy policy won’t even take a penny off energy bills.

‘The Conservatives are so out of touch that they have given up trying to bring down energy bills for British families.’

‘Instead, they will hand billions of taxpayer subsidies to the oil and gas companies making record profits, undermine our energy security and contribute to climate disaster.’

Crackdown on ‘drip pricing’ by airlines adding on costs 

Airlines like Ryanair and easyJet will be banned from hammering families with sneaky hidden costs after luring them into flying with low cost tickets under plans unveiled in the King’s Speech.

Rishi Sunak is to take action against ‘drip pricing’, where firms advertise a service for a price before adding on extra charges. 

It is most commonly used by budget airlines, who legally offer attractively priced tickets upfront, before adding fees for hold luggage, choosing seats and even for printing boarding passes.

While the plans will not reduce the price of travelling, they will force companies to be more upfront with customers about the cost of travel, to allow them to make a more informed choice.

It comes after Ryanair yesterday posted a 59 per cent jump in first-half earnings after record summer demand and higher prices offset rising fuel costs.

It continues to cash in on higher fares with the average price of a seat up 24 per cent on a year earlier to £50.

Revenue from add-ons for baggage, allocated seats and priority boarding ballooned 14 per cent to £2.1billion in the half year with passengers typically paying £20 each for these extras.

Revenue from add-ons for baggage, allocated seats and priority boarding ballooned 14 per cent to £2.1billion in the half year with passengers typically paying £20 each for these extras.

While the plans will not reduce the price of travelling, they will force companies to be more upfront with customers about the cost of travel, to allow them to make a more informed choice.

The changes are part of proposals worked up in Downing Street to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and are seen by Mr Sunak as a post-Brexit benefit. 

They are due to be introduced in the upcoming Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill reading by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.

One source told the Mail on Sunday at the weekend: ‘The fees themselves wouldn’t be banned, but they couldn’t be ‘dripped’ in as you purchase your journey – to avoid people ending up paying more than they had intended.’

But the drip pricing is not just limited to airlines. Hidden fees across the travel, entertainment and hospitality industries are estimated to cost online consumers £1.6 billion each year.

Consumer champion group Which? said: ‘Customers need clear pricing upfront and should not find themselves having to pay for charges hidden until the checkout.’

Ban on no-fault eviction for renters to go ahead  

Michael Gove is to push on with plans to boost renters rights by making it harder for landlords to evict them for no reason despite Tory opposition. 

The Housing Secretary’s Renters (Reform) Bill has been carried over from the last session of Parliament in the King’s Speech.

It comes amid complaints about soaring rental costs as landlords pass on higher mortgage and other costs to tenants.

The Bill will put an end to ‘no-fault evictions’, strengthening tenants’ rights. But in a nod to opposition from Tory MPs, many of whom are commercial landlords, it will not come into effect until separate law changes giving landlords stronger rights to throw out problem occupants who don’t pay their rent or engage in anti-social behaviour. It will also be easier to evict tenants if landlords want to move family members into a property.

Landlords can currently evict tenants who are not on fixed-term contracts without giving a reason, under legislation known as Section 21. But critics say this is unfair and has a destabilising effect on families. 

The proposed legislation aims to ban so-called no-fault evictions, alongside a series of other measures to improve rental conditions for tenants. These include preventing landlords from ‘unreasonably’ denying tenants from keeping a pet in a rented property.

Michael Gove is to push on with plans to boost renters rights by making it harder for landlords to evict them for no reason despite Tory opposition.

But in a nod to opposition from Tory MPs, many of whom are commercial landlords, it will not come into effect until separate law changes giving landlords stronger rights to throw out problem occupants who don’t pay their rent or engage in anti-social behaviour.

In an additional move to boost family housing, the Speech confirmed plans to ‘phase out’ leaseholds.

Between 30 and 80 Conservative backbenchers are thought to privately oppose the legislation, a 2019 manifesto promise, believing it will prompt landlords to take properties off the market.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has told Conservative MPs that the ban on section 21 evictions will not be enacted before a series of improvements are made in the legal system.

Bills that have not passed before the end of a session usually have to begin their journey through the Commons again, but ministers can use a process called a carry-over motion to allow the Bill to continue its passage.

Amendments to the law would also bar landlords from a blanket ban on benefit recipients or families with children.  

In an additional move to boost family housing, the Speech confirmed plans to ‘phase out’ leaseholds.

These are properties, often flats but sometimes houses, where the owner holds it on a lease, usually of more than 100 years, from the freeholder who owns the plot of land. These freeholders can charge a fee, ranging from a ‘peppercorn rent’ of a few pounds to thousands of pounds a year.

The Leasehold and Freehold bill will increase the standard lease extension term from 90 to 990 years, reducing the ground rent to £0. It will also make it easier for leaseholders in houses and flat to buy their freehold and hold it in common.

But a full ban on new leasehold properties will only apply to houses, not flats. 

The reforms come following mounting concerns about practices in the leasehold sector, including over the levying of hefty charges and a lack of transparency.

Freedom of speech win as libels costs law is set to be binned

Rishi Sunak will scrap a controversial law that could make newspapers pay legal costs for both sides in libel and privacy cases – regardless of who wins.

Ministers have been concerned about the threat to free speech posed by the ‘draconian’ legislation, known as Section 40. Now a repeal of the law will be included in Tuesday’s King’s Speech, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

A Government source told the MoS at the weekend that a free press is ‘a key part of our democracy’ – and that ‘forcing publishers to pay the costs of legal actions, win or lose, risks undermining press freedom’.

Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act – to give it its full name – means that news publishers would have to pay the costs of any court judgment if they are not a member of an ‘approved regulator’, whatever the outcome of the case.

But no national newspapers have signed up to the only state-approved regulator, Impress, which was established with funding from Max Mosley, in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry into the press.

Instead most national and local newspapers are members of the independent regulator Ipso.

One insider working on the repeal said the ‘draconian law represents a real threat to media freedom. It’s worse than SLAPPs’: referring to vexatious legal claims used by the rich to try to muzzle journalists.

Meanwhile, politicians and free-speech campaigners have warned that the law, which has been on the statute book for years but never brought into effect, has had a chilling effect on free speech and risks ‘financial ruin’ for publishers.

The King’s Speech in full 

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

It is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by My beloved Mother, The late Queen, that I deliver this, the first King’s Speech in over 70 years.

The impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom. That is why my Government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.

My Ministers’ focus is on increasing economic growth and safeguarding the health and security of the British people for generations to come.

My Government will continue to take action to bring down inflation, to ease the cost of living for families and help businesses fund new jobs and investment.

My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to target by taking responsible decisions on spending and borrowing. These decisions will help household finances, reduce public sector debt, and safeguard the financial security of the country.

Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes. This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households [Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill].

Alongside this, my Ministers will seek to attract record levels of investment in renewable energy sources and reform grid connections, building on the United Kingdom’s track-record of decarbonising faster than other G7 economies.

My Government will invest in Network North to deliver faster and more reliable journeys between, and within, the cities and towns of the North and Midlands, prioritising improving the journeys that people make most often.

My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification. Proposals will be implemented to reduce the number of young people studying poor quality university degrees and increase the number undertaking high quality apprenticeships.

My Ministers will take steps to make the economy more competitive, taking advantage of freedoms afforded by the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. A bill will be brought forward to promote trade and investment with economies in the fastest growing region in the world [Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill]. My Ministers will continue to negotiate trade agreements with dynamic economies, delivering jobs and growth in the United Kingdom.

My Ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles [Automated Vehicles Bill], introduce new competition rules for digital markets [Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill], and encourage innovation in technologies such as machine learning [Data Protection and Digital Information Bill]. Legislation will be brought forward to support the creative industries and protect public interest journalism [Media Bill]. Proposals will be published to reform welfare and support more people into work.

My Government will promote the integrity of the Union and strengthen the social fabric of the United Kingdom.

Working with NHS England, my Government will deliver its plans to cut waiting lists and transform the long-term workforce of the National Health Service. This will include delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the first long-term plan to train the doctors and nurses the country needs, and minimum service levels to prevent strikes from undermining patient safety. Record levels of investment are expanding and transforming mental health services to ensure more people can access the support they need. My Government will introduce legislation to create a smokefree generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of ecigarettes to children [Tobacco and Vapes Bill].

My Ministers will bring forward a bill to reform the housing market by making it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to purchase their freehold and tackling the exploitation of millions of homeowners through punitive service charges [Leasehold and Freehold Bill]. Renters will benefit from stronger security of tenure and better value, while landlords will benefit from reforms to provide certainty that they can regain their properties when needed [Renters (Reform) Bill].

My Government will deliver a long-term plan to regenerate towns and put local people in control of their future. Legislation will be brought forward to safeguard the future of football clubs for the benefit of communities and fans [Football Governance Bill]. A bill will be introduced to deal with the scourge of unlicensed pedicabs in London [Pedicabs (London) Bill].

My Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten. A bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens [Holocaust Memorial Bill].

My Government will act to keep communities safe from crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and illegal migration.

A bill will be brought forward to ensure tougher sentences for the most serious offenders and increase the confidence of victims [Sentencing Bill]. My Ministers will introduce legislation to empower police forces and the criminal justice system to prevent new or complex crimes, such as digital-enabled crime and child sexual abuse, including grooming [Criminal Justice Bill].

At a time when threats to national security are changing rapidly due to new technology, my Ministers will give the security and intelligence services the powers they need and will strengthen independent judicial oversight [Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill]. Legislation will be introduced to protect public premises from terrorism in light of the Manchester Arena attack [Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill].

My Government will deliver on the Illegal Migration Act passed earlier this year and on international agreements, to stop dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and ensure it is the government, not criminal gangs, who decides who comes to this country.

My Government will continue to champion security around the world, to invest in our gallant Armed Forces and to support veterans to whom so much is owed. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges. This includes the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.

My Government will continue to lead action on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, support developing countries with their energy transition, and hold other countries to their environmental commitments.

The United Kingdom will continue to lead international discussions to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is developed safely.

My Government will host the Global Investment Summit, the European Political Community, and the Energy Conference, leading global conversations on the United Kingdom’s most pressing challenges.

I look forward to welcoming His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs Kim Keon Hee for a State Visit later this month.

My Government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations. My Ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing. My Ministers will put the security of communities and the nation ahead of the rights of those who endanger it. By taking these long-term decisions, my Government will change this country and build a better future.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

Source: Read Full Article