Research briefing setting out the government’s commitments covering culture, media and sport for the House of Lords debate on the 2024 King’s Speech.
King's Speech 2024: Culture, media and sport (306 KB , PDF)
Labour’s manifesto committed to reform of gambling regulation to reduce gambling-related harm and the introduction of legislation to reform football governance, which it said would include the establishment of a new football regulator. Work on these areas was already in train under the previous Conservative government. Indeed, Labour had indicated backing for the Football Governance Bill introduced by the Conservative government in the 2023–24 parliamentary session and a gambling reform white paper introduced in April 2023.
In addition, Labour has set out policies to support the creative industries and improve access to arts and music. This includes potential curriculum changes to support children studying creative subjects at school and introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales to reduce the impact of ticket touting.
The Library’s briefings for the King’s Speech draw on the Labour Party’s manifesto and other material in the public domain. They have been written in advance of the 2024 King’s Speech to help members of the House of Lords prepare for the debate on the speech. They do not constitute official information about the government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced.
King's Speech 2024: Culture, media and sport (306 KB , PDF)
The bill aims to create a 'smoke-free generation' by banning tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, alongside other measures to tackle smoking and tobacco harms. It would also further regulate vaping, curbing its appeal to children, while enabling adult smokers to use vapes as a quitting tool. The bill is similar to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which fell at dissolution 2024.
In November 2024, the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published a report examining the future of the news sector in the UK. While acknowledging the sector’s strengths, it expressed concerns about declining trust and revenue, threats to investigative reporting and the influence of artificial intelligence (AI). It made several recommendations to the government and others, including dedicating resources to address the challenges of AI and developing a media literacy strategy.
The UK co-founded and is a member of the Media Freedom Coalition, which advocates for media freedom, the safety of journalists, and holding those who harm journalists to account. More than 50 journalists have been killed every year since 2019, often with impunity. They can also be subject to detention and legal intimidation. The previous government worked with the UN and other multilateral organisations to promote media freedom, and the current government has said it will protect independent journalism.
