Welcome to this month’s edition of Trowers & Hamlins Local Government Matters newsletter.
In this edition, we delve into the new Labour Government’s agenda and explore what it means for local authorities across a range of areas. Our articles cover key topics such as the future of devolution, delivering Labour’s New Towns and the new deal for working people. These insights aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential changes and opportunities that lie ahead.
Additionally, we have included a number of insights in our AI series, offering an overview of the legal implications posed by AI and Generative AI. We are excited to announce that we will shortly be launching our full AI report, which will cover the practical considerations of using this technology and how we can offer our expertise through innovative applications. We look forward to sharing this with you in the next edition.
We are delighted to be hosting the LLG's Monitoring Officer Conference in our offices later this month – and look forward to seeing those of you that will be attending.
Click the links below to access the full articles:
Labour in government: a step by step guide to employment changes
Now that Labour has won the general election, let's take a closer look at what that might mean for employers.
In this article. we've set out the key proposals that employers ought to be aware of, and how this differs from the current position.
Labour's employment plans: bitesize
Labour's manifesto committed to the implement of 'Labour's Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New deal for Working People' in full, introducing legislation within 100 days of coming to power. It also referred to a few new initiatives.
So what do we have to look forward to over the course of the next governmental term?
Podcast: General Election 2024 - Labour's employment law plans explained
In this post-Election result reaction podcast, Head of Employment Rebecca McGuirk and Partner Nicola Ihnatowicz discuss Labour's New Deal for Working People and the potential impact on employers.
New kids on the block – what does the new Labour Government mean for housing?
The 2024 General Election saw Labour sweep into Government – but what does this mean for those involved in the affordable housing sector?
The immediate signals from the new government are promising and it is clear that much of the thinking undertaken in opposition is finding its way into policy.
The future of devolution under Labour
In its manifesto, Labour said it would “transfer power out of Westminster, and into our communities with landmark legislation to take back control”.
In this article the Public Sector Team at Trowers & Hamlins consider the future of devolution under Labour, and specifically what this could mean for regions within England.
One of the new Government's manifesto pledges is to create a series of new towns across the UK to help deliver its promise to build 1.5m homes in the next parliament.
Although new towns were not mentioned in the King's Speech, a New Towns Taskforce was convened by MHCLG on 31 July 2024 demonstrating that new towns remain key to the Government delivering on that promise.
In this article we look at Labour's plans and what these new towns are.
Construction and the built environment – what is in the new government's (already full) inbox?
Companies participating in the trial are set to begin the scheme in November, and findings will be presented to the government in the summer of 2025.The Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, Joe Ryle, has stated that he believes that a Labour government will be more receptive to the four-day week than the Conservatives were.
Labour's Cyber agenda: what's changing?
Cyber resilience is a key strategic concern for national security, the economy and the public sector, and the new Labour government has committed to urgently updating the current cyber security framework to address key vulnerabilities and to strengthen the UK's cyber defences.
Over the last six months, the flow of PPNs have continued and a new National Procurement Policy Statement has been published. We have also seen the start of a torrent of Cabinet Office guidance on the Procurement Act 2023.
New four-day working week trial launched
Companies participating in the trial are set to begin the scheme in November, and findings will be presented to the government in the summer of 2025.The Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, Joe Ryle, has stated that he believes that a Labour government will be more receptive to the four-day week than the Conservatives were.
Use of Right to Buy receipts – new flexibilities announced
The Government has announced some time-limited flexibilities for local authorities in relation to their Right to Buy receipts.
In this article, we look at the three new flexibilities for Right to Buy receipts which will apply to financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
The AI series: Internal AI Governance
Whilst many organisations are required to have certain policies in place by law, there is currently no legal requirement in the UK to have policies in place governing the development or usage of artificial intelligence (AI).
In this article, we look at the important things to consider when putting policies in place.
