King’s Speech outlines government’s legislative programme

• The European Partnership Bill will provide the legal framework for closer UK–EU cooperation following the 2025 summit. It is expected to enable agreements in areas such as agri-food checks, emissions trading and energy, helping to reduce border friction, streamline processes and lower the cost of trading with the UK’s largest market.

• The Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill (formerly the Railways Bill) will establish Great British Railways as a single guiding body for the network. The legislation will embed consideration of rail freight within planning and operations, with clearer accountability for supporting freight growth and ensuring fair access to capacity.

• The Highways (Financing) Bill will introduce a new Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model to attract long-term private investment into major road infrastructure. This is intended to unlock delivery of nationally significant schemes, including the Lower Thames Crossing, improving network capacity and resilience on key freight corridors.

• The Civil Aviation Bill will support airport expansion, modernise airspace and reform slot allocation rules. These measures aim to increase capacity, improve efficiency and strengthen the UK’s position as an international aviation hub, with direct benefits for air freight connectivity and trade flows.

• The Energy Independence Bill will reform planning, regulation and market frameworks to accelerate clean energy deployment and significantly speed up grid infrastructure delivery. Measures to reduce delays in network connections and infrastructure build-out are particularly relevant for logistics, supporting depot electrification and the rollout of zero-emission HGV charging.

• The Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill will introduce a 60-day maximum payment term, strengthen penalties for late payment and limit the use of extended terms and disputes. This is designed to improve cash flow across supply chains, providing greater financial certainty for logistics SMEs.

Logistics UK Chief Executive, Ben Fletcher, was quoted in the King’s Speech Background Briefing document under the Highways (Financing) Bill. The full King’s Speech package can be read here.