11 July 2024
It has been all change in Westminster after last week’s General Election, which swept Labour to power, winning 411 seats, up 209 seats from the previous election in 2019. Sir Kier Starmer’s new government now commands a parliamentary majority of 172 seats, with the Conservative Party holding 121 seats (down 244), Liberal Democrats 72 seats (up 61) and the Scottish National Party returning 9 MPs (down 48). The Palace of Westminster is full of buzz with ministerial appointments underway and a record number of first-time elected MPs, 335 MPs, settling into their new offices.
The Prime Minister has brought together the second largest Cabinet of any incoming government, 25 in total, many of which replicate their previous Shadow roles. For example, key to our industry, Rachel Reeves now takes up the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jonathan Reynolds is Secretary of State for Business & Trade, Angela Rayner Deputy Leader who will oversee devolution and planning reforms; Louise Haig leads on Transport, Ed Miliband on Net Zero, and Bridget Philipson on Education. In addition, Steven Reed has been appointed Secretary of State for the Environment. Early signs are there will be notable changes in the way central government functions and interacts with both industry and local government.
Join our Senior Public Affairs Adviser, Joanna Richardson, for a member lunchtime webinar on 31 July, to catch up on the latest developments and hear more about what British Marine is doing to draw attention to our industry’s priorities and foster new champions in the House of Commons to help advance the success of our industry. It is also a chance to explore how the Labour Government’s policies could impact your business and share your views on the changes you would most like British Marine to press for over the course of this parliament.
Register today by clicking here
If you are unable to join us on 31 July but would like to comment on the asks set out in our Industry Priorities document and / or have other issues you want us to be aware of, please email
We would particularly welcome more examples / case studies to support the ‘asks’ that have been identified by members and are set out in the Industry Priorities document.