(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his agenda for government in what he described as the “most radical” program of law-making in a generation after last week’s “seismic” election victory.
Leading on his commitment to leave the European Union on Jan. 31, the legislative program, delivered by tradition in a speech to Parliament by Queen Elizabeth II, also includes campaign promises on spending on the National Health Service, infrastructure development and a review of the relationship between government and the courts.
One potentially controversial plan is to scrap the law that sets the date for general elections, due in 2024, to put power over timing of the next vote in the hands of the prime minister.
“Millions of people, many of them who have never voted Conservative before, put their faith in this government and voted overwhelmingly for us to move this country on and deliver change. We have no time to waste,” Johnson wrote in his introduction to the speech. “Our first task is to get Brexit done and we will leave the EU by the end of January.”
Johnson, who also promised action on immigration and tougher sentences for offenders, is seeking to act fast to cement the support of people in areas of Britain that have traditionally voted for the opposition Labour Party. His law-making program is loaded with the pledges he made to win support in those districts.
Election Pledges
Alongside a law to guarantee increased spending on the NHS and commitments to hire more police officers, there are political promises to provide free parking at hospitals and get people home quickly from their holidays if travel companies go bust.
Johnson is also pushing ahead with potentially radical constitutional reforms. After opponents of Brexit successfully went to the U.K. Supreme Court to block Johnson’s Brexit plans, he will launch a review into the relationship between the country’s governing institutions, setting up a battle with the judiciary and Parliament over Britain’s constitution.
“We will set up a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission to consider the relationship between Government, Parliament and the courts and to explore whether the checks and balances in our constitution are working for everyone,” the government’s briefing document said.
The program also promised legislation to support the U.K.’s position as a center for financial services. Laws will ensure the country keeps its regulatory standards and stays open to international markets after leaving the EU.
Johnson, who had a controversial term as foreign secretary before becoming prime minister, will also personally lead a review of the U.K.’s security, defense and foreign policy. The focus will be on better integration and use of money to combat developing threats “from smartphones to autonomous drones,” a briefing document said.
Other measures include:
- A Trade Bill to allow international deals after Brexit and give the U.K. powers to “transition” trading arrangements while it is in the process of leaving the EU.
- Fiscal rules that commit the government to balancing the day-to-day budget and limiting investment to 3% of gross domestic product. The rules will allow the government room to increase borrowing for investment.
- Legislation upgrading the government’s power to scrutinize and intervene in mergers and acquisitions seen to threaten national security.
- Scrapping the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act -- the law sets the date for a general election once every five years. Under Johnson’s plan, the prime minister would have power to decide the timing of future elections.
- A 100 billion pound ($131 billion) national infrastructure strategy to be set out alongside the government’s first budget, focussing on transport, decarbonization and digital infrastructure.
- Putting into law a new funding settlement for the NHS and speeding up access to cutting-edge drugs, making it easier for hospitals to manufacture innovative personalized medicines.
- Laws to speed up roll-out of gigabit-per-second broadband