Working people at heart of new laws one year on from historic King’s Speech

• On the anniversary of the King's Speech, Leader of the House Lucy Powell sets out the real life impacts of the legislative programme

• “Active, insurgent” government is shifting power and opportunity to working people

• Government is delivering the Plan for Change in Parliament

• 21 Bills have achieved Royal Assent and 24 more are progressing through Parliament, so far

Workers, renters, football fans, rail commuters, steel workers, and local communities are all benefitting from new laws that have come into force, and laws currently going through Parliament, since this Government's first King's Speech last July, as part of the Plan for Change.

The immediate task facing the government was to take emergency action to fix the foundations, after 14 years. That meant taking difficult but right decisions to immediately stabilise our economy and the next phase of this government is about making working people better off. 

Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, said:

“The story of the Government can be seen through the new laws and rights we have brought in. We are an active, insurgent government, taking on vested interests and putting working people first. 

"From bringing rail services into public ownership to strengthening water regulations and reforming workers' rights, we are standing up for the public, against the powerful. 

“The country is crying out for a renewed Britain, and this Government is delivering it through the Plan for Change.”

The Government has successfully delivered 21 Bills to Royal Assent, making a tangible difference to people's lives: 

• Great British Energy, established in the Great British Energy Act, is already investing over £200 million in funding for new rooftop solar power and renewable energy schemes for schools, hospitals and communities – saving hundreds of millions on their energy bills, as part of our work to become a clean energy superpower. 

• South Western Railway has been taken back into public ownership using powers in the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act with C2C trains serving commuters in London and Essex to follow this week - putting passengers not profit first, driving up performance, and boosting productivity.

• Steelworkers in Scunthorpe are still in jobs thanks to the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act which enabled the Government to prevent our only source of primary steel making from collapse.

• Water bosses at six companies have been banned from getting bonuses, thanks to the Water (Special Measures) Act which gives Ministers powers to clean up our waterways and seas.  

• Workers and punters are better protected, through the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, fulfilling the Prime Minister's promise to Figen Murray to pass Martyn's Law. 

A further 24 Bills are progressing through Parliament tilting power to working people:

• Renters will have more rights, through the Renters' Rights Bill ending Section 21 ‘no fault' evictions, giving renters much greater security and stability. From October, Awaab's Law will mean social landlords will be forced to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould and the Renters' Rights Bill will give the government powers to extend this to the private rented sector in future. 

• Families will get a boost through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which will establish free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and limit branded school uniform items to reduce costs for parents.    

• The public will be better protected through the Crime and Policing Bill, giving police more powers to tackle anti social behaviour, seize and crush nuisance bikes terrorising communities, and strengthen laws on the online sale of knives. The Government has already banned zombie-style knives and machetes.  

• Fans will be put first, through the Football Governance Bill which will establish a new Independent Football Regulator, to improve the financial resilience of clubs, and keep them at the heart of their communities. 

• Workers will have more job security, through the Employment Rights Bill tackling low pay and poor working conditions, banning exploitative zero hours contracts, ending unscrupulous fire and rehire, strengthening statutory sick pay and flexible working, introducing a right to bereavement leave, strengthening protections for whistleblowers, and modernising trade union legislation. 

• Border Security Command will be given counter-terrorism powers, through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to smash the vile people smuggling trade, securing our borders and tackling small boat crossings.

Legislation has also been passed in the Government's first year in office to increase the National Minimum Wage, extend the fuel duty cut, implement the Online Safety Act including protections for children, allow veterans to use their ID to vote, strengthen police vetting procedures, ban disposable vapes, ban ninja swords, lift the moratorium on onshore wind, amended fire safety and evacuation regulations for vulnerable residents in high rise blocks - addressing recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, introduce the gambling levy, change social housing allocation rules to make it easier for veterans and young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors to access social housing, and amend right to buy regulations to enable councils to build more social housing.

The Government is also modernising Parliament, removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords, taking action on MPs outside interests so they put their constituents' first, driving higher standards, improving working practices and culture in the House of Commons. 

Ends 

Notes to editors:

• Since the start of this Parliament, the Government has introduced 45 Bills. 21 have already reached Royal Assent, with several more reaching the end of their parliamentary stages. 

• The Government has also laid more than one statutory instrument a day delivering on the government's priorities. 

• The Government has introduced a Bill every 4 Parliamentary sitting days.