King’s Speech 2026 Reaction: Implications for UK Manufacturing
13.05.2026
Today’s King’s Speech has set out the Government’s legislative agenda for the coming parliamentary session, outlining 35 bills which contain the policies and priorities expected to shape the political and regulatory landscape in the months ahead.
Below, we outline a couple of the key announcements for manufacturers and what they could mean for industry, investment and competitiveness.
The energy measures announced in the King’s Speech reinforce the Government’s long-term ambition to strengthen national energy security through investment in renewable generation, grid infrastructure and nuclear capacity.
These reforms have the potential to support industrial decarbonisation, improve resilience and help reduce energy costs over time — all of which would be positive for manufacturers.
However, there is little in today’s announcements that addresses the immediate cost pressures facing businesses. Much of the focus is on structural reform and support for domestic consumers, with limited recognition of the impact high industrial energy prices continue to have on manufacturers’ competitiveness and investment decisions.
While tackling the root causes of high energy costs is important, manufacturers will want to see stronger action to ease current business energy bills alongside longer-term reform.
The Government will also carry over the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill into this session, aimed at strengthening the UK’s defences against cyber threats.
This includes measures to improve supply chain reporting requirements and enforce stronger digital security standards for critical infrastructure.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has also warned that advanced frontier AI models are significantly increasing the speed and scale of cyberattacks on infrastructure, heightening the urgency of these reforms.
While most manufacturers will not be directly in scope, some suppliers to National Critical Infrastructure organisations may be affected by the new obligations.
Looking ahead
Taken together, the King’s Speech sets out a programme of reform focused on long-term structural change, particularly in energy, infrastructure and digital resilience. For manufacturers, the direction of travel towards decarbonisation, improved grid capacity and stronger cyber security frameworks is broadly positive, but the immediate challenge of high costs and competitiveness pressures remains.
As the Government moves from announcements to delivery, manufacturers will be watching closely to see how these ambitions are translated into practical measures that support investment, growth and international competitiveness.
Over the coming Parliament, it will also be important to monitor how the UK’s evolving relationship with the EU develops. Any deepening of cooperation on trade, regulation and industrial strategy could have significant implications for manufacturers operating across European supply chains, particularly around alignment, market access and regulatory ease.
Business will welcome some aspects of the speech, in particular the commitment to pursue closer relations with the EU which remains far and away the biggest market for manufacturers. Brexit was always an immense act of economic self harm and the Government should be applauded for grasping the nettle of closer ties. It must now build on this commitment with a far bolder programme of measures to boost growth.
“This must include immediate steps to reduce energy prices, radical planning reform and a significant increase in defence spending which cannot be put off any longer. The Government must also address the unintended consequences of the Employment Rights Act which have acted as a handbrake on recruitment and, damaged the prospects for young people who are being denied high quality jobs in manufacturing.
