Energy
It promised to be a momentous – and dynamic – week in the energy industry as long-running battles came to a head. A decision to approve £165 million plans for Britain’s first new coal mine in decades, near Whitehaven in west Cumbria, was expected but delayed. A review on fracking, originally expected last week, has yet to appear. A decision was due on Friday to approve planning for the Sizewell C nuclear reactor in Suffolk, which was opposed by environmental campaigners. It has now been postponed to July 20. Whitehaven in Cumbria is the site of a proposed new coal mine in North West England. Photo: Jon Super/AP
Suppression of gambling
A once-in-a-generation overhaul of the UK’s antiquated 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 tighter stake limits on online casino games and affordability controls to ensure players don’t lose too much, unless the proposition is watered down. Other policies hanging in the balance include the creation of a gambling ombudsman, a compulsory levy on operators to fund addiction services and a possible ban on betting logos on football shirts.
Northern Ireland Protocol
Johnson, like his predecessor, may leave office with the issue of trade with Northern Ireland unresolved. His government is pushing legislation to scrap arrangements he signed into law that impose controls on goods moving from Great Britain to NI. On Thursday, EU leaders quickly asked Johnson’s successor to abandon plans to deliberately flout international law, which could spark a wider trade war between the UK and its biggest trading partner. Warmer relations could also open the door to the UK rejoining the EU’s €90bn (£76bn) Horizon scientific research programme.
HS2 to the north
High-speed rail has always been opposed by the majority of Conservative voters and particularly among the Brexit wing. Johnson likes big infrastructure projects and supported them. But in his leadership campaign, he drummed up votes by promising to review it – even if, once elected, he handed that assessment to a former HS2 chairman. Certainly too much work has been done on the first leg from London to Birmingham to go back now without colossal waste and phase 2a to Crewe has passed parliament. But a new leader could choose to scrap the rest.
Education
Teacher pay is top of mind for new education secretary James Cleverley – he must publish the recommendations of the School Teacher Review Board before the end of term or risk further angering teachers in England ahead of strike ballots in the autumn . Exam results for A-levels and GCSEs arrive in mid-August – and they will see a sharp drop in top grades compared to last year. Whoever is education secretary should make it clear to disgruntled students and parents why this has happened. The related round of university admissions could be a similar nightmare for ministers. The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill faces opposition in the Lords and has now lost its main sponsor, Michelle Donelan. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images The schools bill making its way through parliament is in trouble and needs a major overhaul to overcome Lords opponents who see it as a centralized government power grab over academies. The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill is also facing opposition in the Lords and has now lost its main sponsor in Michelle Donelan as minister. It may be delayed further as its flaws are revealed. Other policies left hanging include the soon-to-finish special educational needs and disabilities review which needs an urgent focus to make progress on reforms, while new post-Covid lateness and school attendance policies require also attention from ministers.
Retail taxes
The rapid change in the retail industry brought about by the Internet has not been accompanied by updates on how it is taxed. The government has consulted on reforming the business rate system for shops and an online sales tax for web retailers. A decision on the latter was expected until the fall, but it is already facing stiff opposition from Conservative-friendly thinktanks.
Internet failures
Parliament is set to scrutinize the government’s internet safety bill next week. A major change in internet regulation would potentially require social media platforms, video streaming services and search engines to reduce the influence of foreign state-sponsored disinformation. Two sponsors of the bill, Nadine Dorries and Priti Patel, are still in place and the government has said it will complete the next stage before parliament recesses on July 21.
Human Rights
Dominic Raab has had his sights set on the Human Rights Act, introduced by the Labor Party, for a long time. He wants a replacement for the “Bill of Rights” which would allow the UK’s highest court to ignore decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (the arbiter of the European Convention on Human Rights outside the EU). Subscribe to the Business Today daily email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter @BusinessDesk Included in the bill is a proposal to prevent the wealthy from using the threat of costly lawsuits to silence journalists or activists by filing so-called strategic public participation lawsuits, or Slapps. The consultation has been completed but no detailed proposals have been published.
Immigration
The government’s decision to send UK refugees to Rwanda has sparked backlash from Tory supporters to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It has also so far failed to get through the courts after a first scheduled flight was prevented from departing. The architects of the scheme, Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel, are both still in office, and government lawyers are set to argue their case for the flights to take place on July 19. Even if that hurdle is cleared, a future administration could easily abandon the policy.
