Unfinished business: policies that could fail under UK’s ‘lame-duck’ government
Boris Johnson is still prime minister, for now, and has appointed a cabinet, so technically the business of government should be able to continue. With the nation gripped by a cost of living crisis, and action needed on everything from education to energy, the ministerial in-trays are overflowing. But the chances of a “lame-duck” administration getting much done look decidedly thin. Here are some of the major policies that could stall amid the chaos.
It promised to be a momentous – and feisty – week in the energy industry as long-running battles came to a head. A decision on approval for the £165m plans for Britain’s first new coalmine for decades, near Whitehaven in west Cumbria, had been expected but was delayed. A review into fracking, originally expected last week, is yet to emerge. A decision on planning approval for the Sizewell C nuclear reactor in Suffolk, opposed by environmental campaigners, was due on Friday. It has now been pushed back to 20 July.
A once-in-a-generation reform of the UK’s out-of-date gambling laws was due to be unveiled next week, but that has been thrown into doubt by the resignation of gambling minister Chris Philp. The white paper is expected to include tougher stake limits on online casino games and affordability checks to ensure punters don’t lose too much, unless the proposals are watered down. Other policies hanging in the balance include the creation of a gambling ombudsman, a mandatory levy on operators to fund addiction services and a possible ban on betting logos on football shirts.
Johnson, like his predecessor, may leave office with the issue of trade with Northern Ireland unresolved. His government is pushing through legislation to rip up arrangements he signed into law that impose
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