7 glaring holes in Keir Starmer’s plan for government – ​​POLITICO

But amid Labour’s jubilation, many MPs from Starmer’s newly expanded party will be miffed by elements missing from his first legislative proposal – whether it is existing party policy or other issues they believe the UK’s new centre-left government should have included.

Defense spending increases

Starmer has long promised to increase UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP – as a growing number of NATO countries call on allies to step up spending in the face of an aggressive Russia.

But Starmer refused to give a timetable for delivering the spending promise and said he would only do it if his government could afford it and after a review of its defence strategy.

So while the King’s speech included a commitment to a “strong defence based on” Nato values, it did not include Starmer’s defence spending promise.

Draft bill on artificial intelligence

The Labour manifesto promised to support the development of the AI ​​sector and introduce regulations for companies developing the most powerful AI models. However, some expectations of an explicit AI Bill in the King’s Speech have not been fulfilled.

Instead, the king nodded to the government seeking to “establish appropriate regulations” to govern the AI ​​sector, without introducing a specific AI bill.