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The King’s Speech: Cambridgeshire’s mayor welcomes devolution plans - but Lib Dem MP wanted more action on healthcare




Cambridgeshire’s mayor has welcomed the government’s commitment to devolution outlined in the King’s Speech, which could unlock greater powers for the Combined Authority,

Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson said it would pave the way for a local growth plan to be developed for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in tandem with the government, councils and other partners to support one of the only local economies outside of London that is a net contributor to the Exchequer.

Labour mayor Dr Nik Johnson in Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell
Labour mayor Dr Nik Johnson in Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell

And the government’s plans for a Better Buses Bill to remove barriers for bus franchising will also have gone down well at the Combined Authority, which has been labouring for years on improving the county’s bus networking. It has so far agreed to pursue ‘enhanced partnerships’ with bus companies, giving the Combined Authority greater control over fare structures, but limited ability for large-scale network change.

Dr Johnson said: “The King’s Speech set a clear direction of travel, empowering metro mayors to help deliver the renewal our country needs for proper long-term, sustainable growth. As a Combined Authority, we’re ready to work with government and will seize every opportunity to drive a better, more prosperous future.”

Wednesday’s King’s Speech got a lukewarm response from one of the county’s new MPs, however.

Ian Sollom, the Liberal Democrat MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, welcomed some elements, but felt it failed to address the leading issue raised with him during the General Election campaign.

“I welcome laws to bring about tougher regulation of water companies and address the paucity of our mental health services, particularly for young people which I will be looking for more detail on from the government soon,” he said.

Ian Sollom, the Lib Dem MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
Ian Sollom, the Lib Dem MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire

“However, I’m disappointed not to see more action to tackle the top concern of many in St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire and across the country at the recent General Election: the desperate need to improve our health services and transform social care.

“Too many years of neglect under the Conservatives have left too many people struggling to see a GP when they need to, or even register with an NHS dentist.

“Growth in our area has exacerbated this national crisis, and I will be challenging ministers to do more. People in St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire cannot wait any longer.”

In the Labour government’s first King’s Speech, delivered at the State Opening of Parliament, Sir Keir Starmer set out plans to tear up planning red tape, reform the economy and restore trust in politics in a sweeping set of changes.

King Charles reads the King's Speech in the House of Lords. Picture: Henry Nicholls/PA
King Charles reads the King's Speech in the House of Lords. Picture: Henry Nicholls/PA

The Prime Minister vowed to “turn the page on an era of politics as noisy performance and return it to public service and start the work of rebuilding our country” with a programme containing 40 proposed pieces of legislation.

Sir Keir said this would be “a determined rebuilding, a patient rebuilding, a calm rebuilding, a rejection in this complicated and volatile world of those who can only offer the easy answer, the snake oil charm of populism”.

The English Devolution Bill will tackle the “inconsistent, deal-based and patchwork approach” to devolved areas that has left too many levers for economic growth in the hands of the central government, the government said.

The Bill, one of 40 pieces of planned legislation unveiled in the King’s Speech, will allow local communities to “take back control” and drive economic growth.

It will aim to give local leaders greater powers over local growth by legislating a standardised devolution framework.

Under that framework, local leaders would be able formally to request additional powers and the government could either devolve the powers or publicly explain their reasons for rejecting the application.

Local areas could get more control over strategic planning, local transport networks, and skills and employment support. The legislation would also introduce new duties for local leaders to produce growth plans.

The legislation applies to metro mayors and combined authorities, such as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s.

It would also grant local communities a new “right to buy” when it comes to community assets such as pubs, empty shops and community spaces.

The King said: “My government believes that greater devolution of decision-making is at the heart of a modern dynamic economy and is a key driver of economic growth and my ministers will introduce an English Devolution Bill.

“Legislation will be introduced to give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities. This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities.”

King Charles beside Queen Camilla as he reads the King's Speech. Picture: Alberto Pezzali/PA)
King Charles beside Queen Camilla as he reads the King's Speech. Picture: Alberto Pezzali/PA)

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also the Communities and Local Government Secretary, previously described Labour’s plans as a “devolution revolution”.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister and Ms Rayner held a meeting with 11 regional leaders, including Dr Johnson.

The Combined Authority said it intended to make the case for a range of investments to support Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to improve public transport, energy and water infrastructure, advance renewable energy and support the drive to carbon net zero, aid the decarbonising of homes, unlock new housing, reduce inequality, support agriculture, enable business growth, upskill the workforce and improve public health.

The King’s Speech also featured details of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will reform the system to meet the goal of building 1.5 million more homes over the course of the Parliament - and help decide “how, not if” properties are built.

It will also mean landowners forced to sell up to make way for new developments will be paid a “fair but not excessive” price where important infrastructure or social housing is being built.

Dr Nik Johnson at an opening event of Bracks Solar Farm near Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell
Dr Nik Johnson at an opening event of Bracks Solar Farm near Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell

It is one of 15 Bills or draft Bills under the broad heading of “economic stability and growth”, the key focus of the Starmer administration’s first session.

Other measures in the programme include:

– Establishing state-owned energy production firm Great British Energy with £8.3billion of public money across the Parliament.

– Setting up a new public body, Great British Railways, to oversee track and trains and planning services, simplify the ticketing system and promote the use of rail freight, and pave the way for a new watchdog, the Passenger Standards Authority.

– Creating a £7.3billion national wealth fund to invest in schemes to generate economic growth and clean energy.

– A new package of workers’ rights, banning “exploitative” zero-hour contracts and giving day one rights on flexible working, parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal.

– A law to put water companies into “special measures” to clean up rivers, lakes and seas, with bosses facing personal criminal liability for lawbreaking and a beefed-up regulator having the power to ban bonus payments if environmental standards are not met.

– A Bill to create a new Border Security Command and putting stronger penalties in place for migrant smuggling gangs as part of the effort to curb crossing of the English Channel.

– Measures to end no-fault evictions and give greater protections to people renting their homes.

– Plans to end the “outdated and indefensible” presence of hereditary peers in the House of Lords.

– Confirmation of plans to impose VAT on private school fees to fund new teachers in state classrooms.

The King’s Speech also confirmed the return of measures which were first introduced under the Conservatives – plans to phase out smoking and the creation of an independent football regulator.

Tory leader Rishi Sunak sought to push back against the Labour government painting “as bleak a picture as possible” on its economic inheritance.

In the MPs’ debate following the speech, the former Prime Minister said: “The party opposite has inherited an economy that is already on an upward trajectory.”



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