In the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026, a total of 37 bills were announced, outlining the focus of Government for the next parliamentary session. 

For local authorities, the Overnight Visitor Levy Bill, the Education for All Bill, the Social Housing Renewal Bill, the Police Reform Bill and the Public Office (Accountability) Bill are expected to bring about major reforms. These include the introduction of the tourist tax, changes around support for children with special educational needs, the abolishment of police and crime commissioners, long-term investment into social housing and the introduction of a duty of candour on public authorities and officials.  

The Highways (Financing) Bill, the Steel Industry Nationalisation Bill, the Energy Independence Bill, the Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill and the High-Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill are expected to facilitate major infrastructure projects across the country.  

It is worth noting that the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill has also been introduced, and we are expecting to see a cap on ground rents charged for leasehold properties.   

In this insight, we have provided a high-level summary of the bills highlighted briefly above. We will continue to monitor progress and will issue further insights as these bills progress through Parliament.  

The Overnight Visitor Levy Bill 

This Bill will allow mayors and potentially other leaders of large authorities in England to introduce a tourist tax in their areas. 

The Education for All Bill 

The Bill will reform the system in England for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) by providing early access to support close to home and raising the standard of education for children and young people in all schools, nurseries and colleges. 

We previously looked at the Schools White Paper and the Government’s long-term plan to reform the education system and SEND provisions in this article. 

The Social Housing Renewal Bill 

This Bill will increase long-term investment into social housing, after Labour pledged to build 180,000 social homes by 2036.  

The Police Reform Bill 

This Bill scraps police and crime commissioners and includes other reforms, including a new legal framework for the use of facial recognition technology. 

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill 

This Bill imposes a duty on public authorities and public officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness. This will include provisions to enforce dealings with inquiries and investigations, alongside creating additional offences for those who mislead the public. 

The Highways (Financing) Bill 

This Bill will include measures to help fund the new £10bn project to enable roads to be built at pace, including the Lower Thames Crossing and a new motorway-style road linking Essex and Kent. Including this bill in the King’s Speech, Government reinforced that a strong transport network is essential for economic growth. 

The Steel Industry Nationalisation Bill 

The Government plans to introduce legislation which will give it the option to nationalise British Steel, subject to public interest tests being met. These tests will consider factors such as national security, maintaining critical national infrastructure and supporting the economy.  

Primary legislation would give Government a route to safeguard UK steelmaking capacity and avoid the sudden halt of production at Scunthorpe. 

The Energy Independence Bill  

The Government plans to introduce further legislation to support energy independence. The speech asserted 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. 

The Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill 

This Bill concerns the long-delayed plans to improve East-West transport in the North of England through a planned line that connects Liverpool to Hull with connections to Manchester, Sheffield, York, Leeds and Newcastle. 

The High-Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill 

This Bill makes provision for a railway between a junction with Phase 2a of High Speed 2 south of Crewe in Cheshire and Manchester Piccadilly Station; for a railway between Hoo Green in Cheshire and a junction with the West Coast Main Line at Bamfurlong, south of Wigan; and for connected purposes. This intends to deliver faster, more frequent services between cities in northern England. The Bill will present a “foundational” element for the scheme from Manchester to Millington in Cheshire, via Manchester Airport. 

The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill 

This Bill delivers on Labour’s pledge to reform the leasehold system and introduce a cap on ground rents. Ground rents will be capped at £250 per year under the plans, while new leasehold flats will be banned and existing leaseholders given the right to switch to commonhold. 

Conclusion 

The King’s Speech signals a wide-ranging legislative programme with significant implications for the Local Government sector. From reforms to SEND provision and social housing investment, to the introduction of a potential tourist levy and changes to policing structures, local authorities can expect both new responsibilities and opportunities in the coming parliamentary session. 

While many of these proposals remain at an early stage, local authorities will need to monitor the progress of these bills closely and begin to consider the operational and financial impacts as further detail emerges. 

How Capsticks can help 

As trusted advisors to local government organisations, our purpose is to deliver results that matter. We appreciate the need to deliver efficiently and cost-effectively and have an in-depth understanding of the legislative and governance framework in which local authorities operate. 

If you have any queries about what is discussed in this insight or the impact of any of these bills outlined in the King’s Speech on your organisation, please contact Head of Local Government Tiffany Cloynes, Legal Director Rebecca Gilbert or Principal Associate Megan Tam to find out more about how Capsticks can help.