Blog from Simon Eardley, Head of Partnerships & Policy – Mersey Maritime
The general election was under a month ago but at a time when most are winding down a little for the summer, there has been an inevitable flurry of activity since the dramatic events of 4th July. An election which resulted in the first majority Labour government in 14 years, with one of the largest working majorities in the new House of Commons in history. Such a substantial majority gives the new government an almost unprecedented, in recent times, opportunity to push its agenda forward robustly and with little chance of impediment; the question perhaps being whether or not it will be truly radical and use its substantial grip on power to drive forward the ‘change’ mantra that was a clear cornerstone of the political campaign. Time will tell but we have, of course, had an indication of the direction of travel already with the King’s Speech last week which sets out Labour’s initial legislative focus. What news for the maritime industry one asks?
The King’s Speech was delivered on 17 July 2024, opening the first session of the new parliament since the general election. The speech included a substantial 40 bills to be considered by Parliament in the coming months, broadly grouped around the themes of economic stability and growth, future energy, secure borders and crime, breaking down barriers to opportunity, health and national security. Although there were no bills specifically focused on the maritime industry as such, a number of them will be of interest, not least in terms of commitments to deliver a new industrial strategy, invest in cheaper, cleaner, British energy and push power further out of Westminster to the regions with greater empowerment of local leaders to deliver for their communities, including through Local Growth Plans. Specific measures, such as the proposed Planning & Infrastructure Bill and the Great British Energy Bill are likely to be of most interest to Mersey Maritime members at the present time. No doubt as new ministers get their feet under the table, further comment around the future direction of policy in the maritime industry will follow in due course, although an initial focus in the transport sector is initially at least firmly on railways, buses and aviation.
The pace of change and the sense of renewal that a new government brings is evident, although one never knows what might be around the corner and we aren’t immune from the potential impact of global events, not least the uncertainty that the US presidential election in November brings. That has been ‘all change’ in the most dramatic way in recent weeks and we should be mindful of the old phrase, “when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.” But on a domestic front, the new government has been quick to remove some of the bureaucratic barriers in key industries which are broadly associated with the maritime industry, including the wind sector, albeit focused on onshore wind capacity most pertinently. The government confirmed plans to double the country’s onshore wind capacity and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, being a key part of the government’s goal to fully decarbonise electricity by the end of the decade – no mean feat! In a sign of its determination to bring about this change, it removed two policy tests that had been put in place by the Conservative government to limit onshore wind development. The Liverpool City Region is familiar with the importance of the wider wind sector, not least given its proximity to some of the largest concentrations of offshore wind in the world. Developments in this broad area of policy will be worth keeping an eye on.
Mersey Maritime’s focus has always been to champion and grow a thriving maritime industry here in the Liverpool City Region and beyond within the wider North West. We know its immense value already and the potential it has to continue to deliver high quality, rewarding, well remunerated jobs and growth in our dynamic coastal community. Following the general election, we look forward to partnering with the new government to help deliver areas of common ground and to ensure that maritime features as strongly as possible in future transport priorities in the months and years ahead. We have already made contact with all new Members of Parliament across the North West, have offered our specific congratulations to the new Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP, with whom we have established strong relations in recent years, and will look to deepen this engagement in the months ahead.
We know how crucial maritime is to so many things here in our region, as well as nationally and internationally. From delivering the next generation of alternative or future fuels to embracing digitisation and new technology, we are fully committed to ensuring that our region and our members are at the forefront of the opportunities that lie ahead in this exciting new chapter in the life of the country. Watch this space for more about how we’ll go about doing this in the near future.
