July 18, 2024

expert reaction to the King’s speech

Scientists react to the science elements of the King’s speech. 

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity College and the former CMO of England, said:

“The health-related measures announced in the King’s Speech today are very welcome. The plans to reduce smoking and vaping, as well as other prevention measures related to junk food advertising and sales of energy drinks to children, will help both the health and happiness of people and our ability as a nation to work and promote growth.”

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:

“We welcome the priorities outlined in today’s King’s Speech, including legislation to prioritise prevention and improve mental health provision, AI regulation and planning reform to encourage investment in new technologies. This early emphasis from the new government sets the right tone for focusing on health and research to drive growth and improve wellbeing.  

“To unlock these benefits for public health and the economy, this government has the opportunity to harness the excellence in medical scientific research across the UK. This community, working in partnership with patients and the public can provide the engine for evidence-based policymaking which should be at the forefront in implementing its legislative agenda. 

“As the independent, expert National Academy for medical and health research, we look forward to working with ministers across government and offering our expertise and energy to help deliver a future-proofed health research system and health for all informed by the best evidence.”

Dr Ian Walker, Executive Director of Policy at Cancer Research UK’s, said: 

“The government’s commitment to introduce new legislation on smoking will have a hugely positive impact on the nation’s health. Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death in the UK and is responsible for 160 cancer cases per day. By raising the age of sale for tobacco products, the government will help to prevent cancer, relieve pressures on the NHS and build a healthier future.

“This bold announcement positions the UK as world leading in tobacco control. We now hope to see the legislation passed and implemented in full across the UK to help bring an end to cancers caused by smoking for good.”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:

“Today’s commitment to raise the age of sale of cigarettes will help to save countless lives and protect thousands of hearts for generations to come. Smoking is still a major cause of heart and circulatory disease, so we urge the new Government to bring in this landmark legislation as quickly as possible – there is no time to waste.

“We welcome the Government’s pledge to improve the health of our young people by bringing in delayed bans to junk food advertising. Addressing this most urgent challenge will be vital to support the Government’s plans for the NHS and reducing inequality.” 

Stephanie Baxter, Head of Policy at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, said:

“The King’s speech has outlined the right priorities at the right time. It brings much needed focus on strengthening the UK in key areas such as innovation, whilst also ensuring fundamental regulation of fast paced technologies such as artificial intelligence. We welcome the introduction of the industrial strategy council and look forward to an opportunity to provide key evidence for consideration to cement the UK as a leading industrial nation. We recommend that the council considers key facilitators of success such as resilience, data standards, cyber security and skills. The policies outlined in parliament today must work together holistically and not in silo; a systems thinking approach to delivering changes outlined will ensure their success.

“The IET welcomes the new Government’s inclusion of an Energy Independence Bill. We hope that this will help accelerate the delivery of renewables infrastructure, meet the UK’s Net Zero targets, drive sustainable growth, strengthen energy security and resilience, and deliver high skill high paying jobs to every nation and region of the UK. The £8.3bn investment that Labour have recommitted via GB Energy will contribute to that if it is underpinned by a collaborative whole-systems approach to decarbonisation. That approach must consider generation and transmission infrastructure, energy demand, skills gaps, the role of alternative green sources such as hydrogen or fusion, and the future effects of the global climate challenge. This will require delivering substantial changes to how the UK approaches the energy system as well as close work with local, regional, and devolved governments. To maximise these benefits across government, a holistic approach to the energy system must be taken, we look forward to working closely with government departments to achieve this. If it is done correctly this legislation can accelerate the UK to the forefront of the energy revolution in Europe. 

“The IET has long campaigned for reform to the apprenticeship levy, to provide greater flexibility for employers, so today’s speech is a welcome step forward in the right direction. A focus on high-quality apprenticeships is going to be critical to ensuring we have skills fit for the future, but they need to be flexible, transparent and industry-focused to work well for all types of business, including SMEs. With 49% of employers saying a skills shortage is holding back productivity and ability to deliver contracts, if the Government wants to see the UK thrive, Skills England must tackle the skills crisis which is holding back not only business, but innovation and net-zero targets.”

Adam Leon Smith, of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and an AI standards expert said:

“We look forward to seeing more detail about what the government means when it comes to ‘placing appropriate requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models.’ Most IT experts’ concerns are not that AI is too powerful but that basic guardrails are not in place. There must be high professional standards to ensure AI is directed and developed by individuals who adhere to agreed measures of competence and ethics. We advise against focusing too narrowly on a handful of companies.    

“By setting high standards within our profession, the UK can lead the way in responsible computing and be an example for the world. Many wrongly believe AI will turn out like The Terminator rather than being a trusted guide and friend. We need to build public confidence in harnessing its incredible potential whilst being aware of its challenges.”

Dr Nick Kirsop-Taylor, Lecturer in Public Policy and Administration, University of Exeter, said:

“This Kings Speech marks an important juncture in tone and policy intentions compared to the last decade. It all paints a vivid picture of the new Government’s intention to lead a decade of national renewal. However, it seems that the major national mission of restoring nature at scale is not being considered as part of this story of national renewal.

“As Sir David Attenborough has rightly argued – restoring nature at pace and at scale across the British Isles is an urgent national mission, and one that could bolster the Labour Government’s agenda and story of renewing this country. As the new Chancellor has urged – ‘there is no time to waste’ – and this absolutely the case for restoring nature, it’s a pity that nature restoration doesn’t appear to be playing a more prominent role in this, critical, first Kings Speech”.

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