The first Kings’ speech for Charles sets scene for coming election.

King Charles’ first speech as monarch at the opening of Parliament had at least as much significance as a historical event, as it did a political one.

The 21 Bills it launches or continues on their journey towards the Statute Book – 16 of which were actually mentioned by the King – had all been well-trailed.

The fact that this was the last Kings’ Speech before a general election was noteworthy and raises questions about how much of the legislation will be completed before voters go to the polls.  For some it looks like a tidying up of work already begun, rather than a programme of new legislation.

But how might the legislative programme, such as it is, affect Britain’s countryside and the people who live and work in it?  And how will landowners and homebuilders respond to the proposals as they affect their interests?

Among the most controversial Bill was the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill which allows for continued drilling for North Sea oil and gas, ostensibly to ensure security of energy supply for the UK. 

Many landowners are committed to providing sites for the generation of renewable energy.  This legislation is unlikely to cause them to pause.  The direction of travel towards a low carbon economy will continue and landowners helping Britain towards net zero – and changing the landscape as they go – will need to keep on communicating their plans, clearly and honestly, with their communities and stakeholders.

Other proposed new laws, including those affecting the sentencing of criminals or the phasing out of tobacco products, will generate the most debate, both inside and outside parliament.  But there are Bills that will have an impact on specific sectors in the UK economy and millions of ordinary people that also deserve some analysis.

On the face of it the Leasehold and Freehold Bill ought to provide more stability in the housing market, making it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or buy their home.

Meanwhile, the Renters Reform Bill aims to pull off the trick of giving more security to tenants while, at the same time, providing the means for landlords to get their properties back when they need them.  The legislation is going to have to demonstrate how these apparently conflicting goals can be achieved.

With both these Bills the Government must be hoping that in addition to tackling specific issues they will provide some clarity in the sector and help to boost housebuilding. In reality, however, many other factors affect the rate at which homes are being built, including the cost of borrowing and the way local councils allocate land for development.

And while housebuilders will have been paying close attention to the King’s Speech, they will be far more interested in what this week’s decision by the Bank of England to hold base rates at 5.25% - for the second time after 14 straight rate rises – will do to mortgage costs.

Farmers and landowners engaged in food production will have been interested in the Trade Bill.  This piece of legislation builds on efforts made since Brexit to forge new links with countries outside the EU, to make up for the loss of some markets in Europe for British goods and services.

The Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnerships) Bill, to give it its full title, will see British manufacturers, food producers and service providers gain access to markets in a global free trade area consisting of 11 countries spanning Asia Pacific and the Americas.

The current members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, collectively known as the CPTPP. Giving British business access to consumers in these markets has already been widely welcomed. 

The National Farmers Union were vocal critics of a previous trade deal signed with Australia and New Zealand. The NFU warned it allowed too easy access to UK markets for farm produce, undercutting UK farmers while failing to meet the stringent safety and animal welfare standards applicable in Britain.  But the NFU has given cautious support to this latest deal with CPTPP, for which legislation is now being brought forward.

NFU President Minette Batters said: “Joining the CPTPP could provide some good opportunities to get more fantastic British food on plates overseas.”  And she praised the negotiations so far, which should, she said, lead to a “more considered and balanced outcome” for UK farmers.

A trade deal, however, is a two-way street.  We sell to them, but they can also sell to us. However, fears that opening up the UK to food imports from nations outside the EU would lead to the importation of food produced in ways that would be illegal here in Britain have been allayed, somewhat.  Hormone-boosted pork and beef and chicken carcases washed in chemicals will not be permitted here, the government has insisted.

Critics of the government have already claimed that the legislative programme King Charles had to read out was “thin gruel.”  The King does not – and must not – allow his own interests and concerns to colour the way he presents the package of measures, but this was clearly an especially politically motivated Speech, designed to differentiate the Conservatives from their Labour opponents.

It is hard not to conclude that while there are important proposals contained in the Speech, bigger issues, around the world and here at home – not least a looming General Election – will have a greater impact on our countryside, our house-builders and the nation more widely.