King's Speech makes clear new Keir Starmer Government's 5 most urgent priorities

Keir Starmer's Government has laid out 40 key laws it plans to implement in its first year in power.

By long-standing parliamentary tradition, King Charles read out the list of bills the new Government wants to pass in what's known as the King's Speech. This forms the centrepiece of the State Opening of Parliament, a lavish ceremony which fires the starting gun on the new parliamentary year.

Today's King's Speech gives us the clearest signal yet of how Labour plans to govern and how it will draw a line after 14 years of Tory rule. The Prime Minister said in his introduction that the "era of politics as performance and self interest above service is over" and said he would resist "the snake oil charm of populism" that only leads to "further division and greater disappointment".

While Labour has said it can't change the country overnight, Mr Starmer is clearly a man in a hurry. This King's Speech is designed to show that Labour isn't wasting any time in delivering on its promises.

There are 40 new bits of legislation on the list, compared to 21 in Rishi Sunak's final King's Speech. The jam-packed speech had the highest number since 2005, when 50 bits of legislation were announced.

There's lots to do but here are the things that Labour wants to get into law quickly.

Renationalising the railways

Overhauling Britain's crisis-hit rail network is one of the new Government's top priorities. There are two bits of legislation in the King's Speech to do this - and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh told the Mirror that she will "fire the starting gun" within days.

One bill will call time on franchises for private firms, giving notice that the railways will be taken back into public ownership once contracts expire or are scrapped due to failures. The second - and key - bit of legislation will set up Great British Railways (GBR), a public body that will take over the running of the network. There will be reforms to ticketing and a new passenger watchdog to help drive up services.

Labour knows that fixing the railways will help boost growth across the country. But it is also something that would materially change the lives of voters who use them.

Workers rights

One of Labour's longest standing commitments is an overhaul of employment rights to give greater protections to workers. Promising "the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation", the Employment Rights Bill vows to end exploitative zero-hour contracts.

While they won't be banned completely as some of Labour's union supporters wanted, the move represents a massive crackdown on insecure work - and is being pushed through by Deputy PM Angela Rayner.

Bad bosses will be banned from firing and rehiring workers, and there will day one employment rights for all workers, such as sick pay, flexible working, parental leave and protection from unfair dismissal.

Trade union laws will be overhauled, with a fair pay agreement for social care, and a "Fair Work Agency" will be set up to enforce workplace rights. Prioritising these reforms is an important signal to Labour's supporters that it is still the party of workers - and that it will make work pay. It will also be welcomed by the party's union backers.

Housing

Reforms for renters, including a ban on no-fault evictions, will be revived and strengthened after the Tories failed to pass their -delayed and watered down - legislation before the General Election. Landlords will be required to fix issues such as damp and mould within strict time limits.

Planning rules will be overhauled so that 1.5million new homes are built and major infrastructure projects are accelerated. The Government says local people will get a say on “how, not if” houses are constructed.

Fixing the housing crisis is a key issue for voters, with more homes across the country. Labour knows that young people need to feel like buying their own home isn't an impossible dream - and renters need better protections from dodgy landlords. There will also be reforms to leasehold rules for existing homeowners, including restrictions on rip-off ground rents.

Border security

Tackling the small boats crisis is one of the top things in Labour's in-tray. Keir Starmer ditched the Rwanda deportation scheme immediately and has instead vowed to stem the flow of asylum seekers in flimsy dinghies by smashing the smuggling gangs.

The plan is to set up a new Border Security Command, bringing together intelligence chiefs, police, immigration enforcement, Border Force and the National Crime Agency. Labour has already started the hunt for a commander for the unit, with a new boss expected to be in place within weeks.

Some 1,120 people have arrived in small boats in the past seven days, with 427 arrivals on Monday in seven boats. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned Cabinet yesterday it would be a "difficult summer". The Tories and Nigel Farage's Reform UK will make life difficult for the Government if they fail to make progress.

Great British Energy

One of Labour's most ambitious plans is to become a "clean energy superpower", transitioning Britain's heavy industry to greener models. A key part of this is a setting up Great British Energy - a publicly-owned clean power company based in Scotland, which will to boost investment in renewable energy, such as offshore wind.

The idea is to make the country energy independent, so Britain is not reliant on foreign imports of oil and gas. The company will also save Brits on their bills in the long term - and help meet net zero goals.

It comes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices rocketing around the world, leaving consumers paying more for their household bills. Labour thinks this plan will protect Britain from this sort of shock, save people on their energy costs and create new jobs - as well as tackling climate change.