King’s Speech 2024—Employment

Article summary

His Majesty, King Charles III, has set out the government’s priorities and proposed policies for the next parliamentary session at the State Opening of Parliament, which took place on 17 July 2024. This King’s Speech 2024 focuses on improving the living standards of working people through economic growth and taking the ‘brakes off Britain’. A major employment announcement came in the form of the Employment Rights Bill, as the government commits to deliver its ‘Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ and to legislate to ban zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire practices, and introduce certain employment rights from day one. The government will also work on delivering a new Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which will enshrine the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people in law. The Skills England Bill will also establish a new partnership with employers and reform the apprenticeship levy. David Reade KC, of Littleton Chambers,...