Keir Starmer’s first few days in Downing Street will bring calls with other world leaders, ministerial appointments and announcements of early policies and commitments. His government will want to set the tone with some eye-catching announcements. Early on Starmer is expected to scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme, reverse the de facto ban on onshore windfarms and launch reviews of the UK’s military capabilities and threats facing the country. Here’s what to expect during Labour’s first 100 days in power. 9 July: Nato summit in Washington Just four days after the election, Starmer is due to jet off to Washington DC for the Nato leaders’ summit alongside his foreign and defence secretaries. This will serve as an opportunity for the PM to meet other western leaders, including the US president, Joe Biden, and reaffirm the UK’s support for Ukraine. Back in London, the new MPs will be introduced to the complex and often arcane workings of parliament. Commons authorities have been preparing for the arrival of hundreds of MPs who are unfamiliar with the processes. MPs will be sworn in in order of seniority and will elect their new speaker. 17 July: King’s speech The king’s speech is due to take place less than two weeks after the election and will set out the government’s legislative programme and priorities. King Charles will read out the speech in the House of Lords, marking the state opening of parliament. No substantive parliamentary business can take place before this. Starmer’s aides have been drawing up a speech focused on voter priorities including the economy, the NHS and immigration. Labour has committed to introducing early laws that bolster workers rights and strengthen the economic watchdog – the Office of Budgetary Responsibility – as a result of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget. The king’s speech is likely to include legislation to nationalise the railways, establish GB Energy, a state-owned energy company, and reform the planning system to build more houses. 18 July: EPC summit in Oxfordshire A second big diplomatic opportunity beckons for Starmer as PM, with the UK due to host the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The EPC summit is a new forum for European countries to set joint political priorities, and in hosting it the British government gets to set the agenda. Starmer and his team have made it clear they want to improve the UK’s relationship with the EU and the summit gives them a chance to set the tone. Meanwhile, MPs are expected to get to work in the Commons with business questions pencilled in for 18 July. For the first six days or so of the new parliament, MPs will debate the king’s speech. End of July: parliament breaks for recess Starmer has made it clear he will extend parliament’s sitting time beyond 23 July, when MPs had originally been due to break for summer recess. Labour officials are looking at prolonging things by about a week, giving parliament a break for August before it comes back in early September. Even while parliament is in recess the business of government continues, and new ministers will want to make their mark in their departments. This is especially true for those with immediate challenges to address: the health secretary will want to enter talks with striking junior doctors, and the home secretary will be dealing with boat crossings across the Channel that tend to increase during the summer months. The Treasury, meanwhile, will be gearing up to hold an international investment summit which Reeves has promised to do within the first 100 days of government. On the sidelines, the Conservatives will debate their party’s future and hold a leadership contest. 22 September: Labour party conference Labour would want to use its first party conference to trumpet its achievements during its first 80-odd days in power. The party faithful in Liverpool will be in an exuberant mood. 29 September: Conservative party conference A week later the Conservatives are due to gather for their first party conference since losing the election. The timings of the Tory leadership contest have not been set, but the new leader could be in place by then and would face the task of energising the grassroots and rebuilding the party. Early autumn: budget Rachel Reeves is expected to hold her first budget early in the autumn, either in mid-September before party conferences or early October. The government has to provide the Office of Budget Responsibility with 10 weeks’ notice to produce an independent forecast, which Reeves has always said she would do. Labour has said it would introduce VAT on private school fees in its first budget. Other measures in the party’s manifesto include higher taxes on non-doms and expanding the windfall tax on energy companies. A key question for Reeves is whether she will include any wealth taxes in Labour’s first budget, such as changes to capital gains tax and inheritance tax, so as to revise the severe public spending cuts that have been pencilled in by Rishi Sunak’s government.