News Item: Hire Association Responds to King Charles’ Speech
On Wednesday 13th May 2026, King Charles III gave a speech from the House of Lords, setting out the Government’s agenda for the upcoming session of UK Parliament.
The King’s speech covered matters including stronger affiliation with the European Union, investment and pilot schemes for defence technology, and boosting the economy by nationalising British Steel. It also referenced the development of bills to limit trials by jury, the introduction of digital ID, NHS modernisation, revising special educational needs teaching, and a lot more.
HAE EHA Director of Public Affairs, Mark Bradshaw commented on the speech: “The Hire Association welcomes the proposed legislation to enable and accelerate infrastructure projects; national rail, the Lower Thames Crossing and other highways schemes in particular.
“The UK hire industry needs more certainty that projects will be delivered in order to make the required capital investment in equipment, plant and tools.”
Scroll down for a transcript of the entire King’s speech, and click below to download the background notes covering the numerous bills that are mentioned, or affected.
If you’d like to follow any of the bills you can contact Randall’s here: team@randallsmonitoring.co.uk.
Full text of the King’s Speech
An increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom, with the conflict in the Middle East only the most recent example. Every element of the nation’s energy, defence and economic security will be tested.
My Government will respond to this world with strength and aim to create a country that is fair for all. My Ministers will take decisions that protect the energy, defence and economic security of the United Kingdom for the long-term. They will defend the British values of decency, tolerance and respect for difference under our common flag, and they will harness the potential of the pride felt across this country for its communities. My Government will take urgent action to tackle antisemitism and ensure all communities feel safe.
My Government believes that the United Kingdom’s economic security depends on raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. My Ministers will support measures that maintain stability and control the cost of living. They will use public investment to shape markets and attract further private investment. They will deploy the power of an active State in partnership with business and enable reforms that support higher growth and a fair deal for working people.
My Government believes that improved trading relations are vital for the United Kingdom’s economic security, for significantly raising economic growth, and for lowering prices for working people. My Ministers will introduce legislation to take advantage of new trading opportunities, including a Bill to strengthen ties with the European Union [European Partnership Bill]. My Government will also support the economic security of British businesses. Legislation will be introduced to tackle late payments [Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill] and to reduce the burden of unnecessary regulation through innovation [Regulating for Growth Bill].
The United Kingdom’s economic security depends upon world class infrastructure. Legislation will be introduced to unlock the benefits of airport expansion [Civil Aviation Bill]; enable roads to be built at pace including the Lower Thames Crossing [Highways (Financing) Bill]; and deliver a fair deal for the North of England through Northern Powerhouse Rail [Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill]. My Ministers will continue to take all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel [Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill].
My Government will also improve the United Kingdom’s security by continuing to invest in the renewal of public services. My Ministers will push forward with significant reforms to the police [Police Reform Bill], the National Health Service [NHS Modernisation Bill], and to the criminal justice system [Courts Modernisation Bill] to help them deliver services the British people expect. Legislation will be introduced to increase confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems [Immigration and Asylum Bill]. My Government will improve critical infrastructure with legislation to clean-up the water industry [Clean Water Bill] and establish Great British Railways [Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill].
My Government believes that the United Kingdom should be a country fair for all and a place where every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations. My Ministers believe that every child deserves the chance to succeed to the best of his or her ability and not be held back due to poverty, special educational needs, or a lack of respect for vocational education. My Ministers will continue to invest in apprenticeships and measures that tackle youth unemployment. They will respond to the Milburn Review and the Timms Review and continue to reform the welfare system to support both young and disabled people to flourish in work as the basis for long-term economic security. A Bill will be brought forward to raise standards in schools and introduce generational reforms of the special educational needs system [Education for All Bill]. My Ministers will also proceed with the introduction of Digital ID that will modernise how citizens interact with public services [Digital Access to Services Bill].
Alongside strong public services and a strong economy, the highest standards of trust in public office are essential for the social contract and the United Kingdom’s collective security. My Government will introduce the Hillsborough Law to bring forward a duty of candour for public servants [Public Office (Accountability) Bill]. My Ministers will also introduce legislation to enable peerages to be removed [Removal of Peerages Bill]. My Government will bring forward proposals that strengthen the delivery, accountability, innovation and productivity of the Civil Service. These proposals will also seek to safeguard its impartiality and core values, to enhance trust and confidence in the institutions of government.
My Government will bring forward a Bill to speed up remediation for people living in homes with unsafe cladding [Remediation Bill] and a draft Bill to ban abusive conversion practices [Draft Conversion Practices Bill].
In this volatile world, my Government will continue to pursue foreign policy based on a calm assessment of the national interest. It will continue its unflinching support for the brave people of Ukraine, who fight on the frontline of freedom.
My Ministers will seek to improve relations with European partners as a vital step in strengthening European security. It will continue to promote long term peace in the Middle East and the Two-State solution in Israel and Palestine.
My Government will also uphold the United Kingdom’s unbreakable commitment to NATO and our NATO allies, including through a sustained increase in defence spending.
My Government will seek to reinforce the long-term energy, defence and economic security of the United Kingdom as an essential component of strength on the world stage. This will include housing, which can be a source of insecurity for many people. My Ministers will bring forward legislation to increase long-term investment in social housing [Social Housing Renewal Bill] and to reform the leasehold system, including the capping of ground rents [Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill].
My Government will introduce legislation to tackle the growing threat from foreign state entities and their proxies [Tackling State Threats Bill]. They will respond to the horrific attack in Southport with measures to protect the British people from extreme violence, and honour the victims, the injured and their families [National Security Bill]. My Ministers will also introduce legislation to improve the country’s defences against cyber-security threats [Cyber Security and Resilience Bill].
My Government will support our gallant Armed Forces and their families who make considerable personal sacrifices for the collective security and freedom of everyone in the United Kingdom. My Ministers will recognise this service with an Armed Forces Bill that improves the service justice system and establishes the Armed Forces covenant in statute [Armed Forces Bill].
My Ministers believe that energy independence must be a long-term goal of national security and that the nation’s energy security requires long-term investment and reform, as demonstrated by recent events in the Middle East. Increased production of clean British energy will help to ensure that enemies of the United Kingdom cannot attack the economic security of the British people. My Ministers will therefore introduce an Energy Independence Bill to scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long-term [Energy Independence Bill].
My Ministers will also take forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review and encourage a new era of British nuclear energy generation [Nuclear Regulation Bill].
My Government will remain a leading advocate for tackling climate change and achieving a world free from poverty. The United Kingdom will also take action to reduce humanitarian need and conflict around the world.
My Ministers will champion the rights of women and girls to live in a world free from violence. This will include promoting women’s full economic and political participation within their societies, with agency over the decisions that impact their lives.
Next year, the United Kingdom will take on the G20 Presidency and host the G20 Summit to drive global growth and reinforce global stability, which is essential for the prosperity of working people across the country.
My Government is committed to the strength and integrity of the Union of the United Kingdom and will continue to work closely with the devolved governments to deliver for citizens across the whole of the nation.
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.
MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Other measures will be laid before you.
I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.
Introduction from the Prime Minister
Our country stands at a pivotal moment. The world today is more volatile and dangerous than at any point in our lifetimes. A war on two fronts – in the Middle East and in Ukraine – threatens our living standards. And this is not a new feeling for the British people. For two decades our country has been buffeted by crisis after crisis: the 2008 financial crash, the Tory austerity that followed it, Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine War. The response in each case was always a desperate attempt to get back to a status quo. Even though that same status quo had repeatedly made working people pay the price.
This time must be different. And this King’s Speech shows it will be different with a plan to make this country stronger and fairer. Stronger, because it gives us the power to act and stops us being blown off course by events far beyond our borders. Fairer, because it is essential to unite the country and unlock our full potential.
Of course, we build on the strong legislative achievements in the last session of Parliament: the Employment Rights Act, the Great British Energy Act, the Renters’ Rights Act and more. And it will continue our work to stabilise the economy and support people with the cost of living. The fundamentals of our economy remain sound and this will help us emerge from the Iran conflict stronger and fairer.
But in the light of that conflict, we now need to move with greater urgency. And so in this King’s Speech, we will strengthen our economic security, energy security, our defence and national security. We will unblock the barriers to growth and prepare our country for a world where external shocks like this are ever more frequent. And we will fight for every child to have the chance to go as far as their talent and effort will take them.
The immediate challenge is to keep removing barriers to growth. That means developing an industrial strategy to create more highly paid jobs, with an apprenticeships plan to match. It means encouraging a new era of British nuclear energy. And it means setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit: putting Britain at the heart of Europe.
Landmark public service reforms in the NHS, police and special education needs will also strengthen our country. We will bring forward a public duty of candour with a Hillsborough Law. We will take control of our energy security with an Energy Independence Bill, boosting clean British energy across Britain. We will protect sovereign British industries, such as British steel, making them strong for the future. We will reform the leasehold system to ensure that this unfair feudal system, which has trapped millions of homeowners, is brought to an end.
And through our Immigration and Asylum Bill we will deliver a firm but fair immigration system that restores control and earns public trust.
Our defence and national security relies on rebuilding European alliances as well as strengthening our defence and armed forces. We will end defence ‘austerity’ with the biggest sustained increase in investment since the end of the Cold War. We will stand strong with NATO, the most successful defence alliance in history and push forward with our Defence Investment Plan. But we also know that our enemies seek to exploit division in our communities. That is why we will take on extremism wherever it appears, including where it is sponsored by foreign powers that are hostile to the UK, such as Iran.
At moments like these, we face a choice. We can choose to sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we can choose to see it as an opportunity to deliver on the change we promised the British people. The King’s Speech sets our course. And we choose to build a stronger, fairer Britain.
Source: Randalls Monitoring