To realise economic growth mission, Labour must unleash potential of 50+ population

A raft of bills has been announced in the King’s Speech with Keir Starmer’s government registering their intent to pass up to 40 potential new laws. 

The King’s Speech is part of the State Opening of Parliament, a speech delivered by the monarch but written by the government which sets out the government’s priorities for the coming parliamentary session.  

A new Employment Rights Bill banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, ending Fire and Rehire practices and extending sick pay and flexible working rights.  
 
A Skills England Bill which will see the Apprenticeship Levy reformed and broadened into the Growth and Skills Levy  
 
A Renters’ Rights Bill which proposes abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ and applying to the private rented sector a Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, which gives landlords legal obligations to make homes safe within certain timeframes.   
 
The English Devolution Bill will give local leaders greater powers over the levers of local growth including enhanced powers over planning, housing, transport, skills and employment support.   

“In this vitally important King’s Speech, Labour needed to show that it can use its substantial majority to good effect and demonstrate that their campaign slogan of change is much more than just a slogan.  

“We welcome the intention to grant greater devolved powers which local authorities should use to level-up the inequalities faced by older people. With a growing ageing population, the success of devolution will depend very significantly on the health, wellbeing and economic inclusion of older people and many combined authorities are already showing powerful leadership on this agenda. 

"By going further to help realise the full economic potential of older people through better targeting of skills development, employment support and apprenticeships, future-proofing housing for an ageing population and improving the availability, affordability and accessibility of transport, local authorities will reap substantial rewards.    

“With greater powers must also come greater resourcing. More localised accountability should be supported by adequate levels of funding needed to address substantial issues. Hollowed out local services and community supports can no longer be left to exist on bare bones.  

“It is great to see serious action to improve the quality of work through the new deal for workers which will help make working lives more sustainable. Many people in their 50s, 60s and beyond struggle to access the flexible work they need: which partially explains why workers over 65 are the second-most likely to be on a zero hours contract.  
 
“Making those contracts less exploitative, and making flexible work a genuine default for all, will open up more opportunities for people to keep working – and in turn boost UK productivity.   
 
“We welcome developing the existing Apprenticeship Levy into a broader Growth and Skills Levy. We need a much greater variety of training and upskilling opportunities to support the UK workforce in developing through their 50 year career. Someone turning 50 currently has 16 years left, potentially at least a third of their working lives, until they reach state pension age – but the skills system has not woken up to this reality.    

“Older learners have seen the largest fall in participation in adult learning since 2010-11, a trend we need to see moving in the opposite direction. While working on the detail of this policy change, the new government needs to transparently investigate how and why the skills system is not working for people in their 50s and 60s, and design the new levy with the 50-year-career in mind.    

“If Labour is to succeed in putting economic growth at the heart of this legislative agenda, the government needs to specifically focus on the 50+ workforce who have powered employment growth since the turn of the century until the pandemic. Getting this right and achieving our recommended employment targets for the 50-64 and 65+ age groups could increase GDP by at least £9bn a year and boost income tax and NICs revenues by £1.6bn a year. 

“A Renters' Rights bill banning “no-fault” evictions, applying a Decent Homes Standard and extending Awaab’s Law to the private rental sector will provide some reassurance for the rapidly growing number of older people living precariously in the private rented sector including many struggling to cope with costs, damp and mould, poor insulation or dangerous homes. Everyone deserves to live in a property that does not cause harm to health, regardless of their tenure.”