Public Affairs monitoring for week ending 4 September 2026

Prime Minister sets out growth priorities and recognises pressures facing logistics businesses

Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the House of Commons on 1 September in his first statement since taking office, focusing on devolution, economic growth, reindustrialisation and stronger public control of essential services. He committed to building a “pro-business culture and an innovation-led economy” across the UK through local industrial strategies, greater regional control over investment and closer collaboration between business, government and academia.

The Prime Minister also recognised pressures affecting the cost of doing business, including high energy prices and the delays and costs businesses face when securing grid connections. In questions following the statement, Rachel Taylor MP highlighted that more than one in five people in North Warwickshire and Bedworth are employed in logistics and asked what steps the government will take to improve the operating environment for logistics businesses. The Prime Minister acknowledged business costs remain too high and committed to meeting logistics businesses.

Logistics UK welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement and will continue making the case for measures that reduce operating costs, improve infrastructure and support investment and growth across the sector.

Badenoch reshuffles shadow cabinet and Keir Starmer resigns as an MP

Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch reshuffled her shadow cabinet on 31 August ahead of Parliament’s return. Key changes include Andrew Griffith becoming Shadow Chancellor, Claire Coutinho being appointed Shadow Business Secretary (with Julia Lopez covering the role during her maternity leave), Andrew Bowie becoming Shadow Energy Secretary, and Katie Lam becoming Shadow Housing Secretary. Tom Tugendhat has also been appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Previous Shadow Transport Minister, Jerome Mayhew has become Shadow Solicitor General and Alison Griffiths has since between appointed as a Shadow Transport Minister, under Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden. Dame Priti Patel and Sir Mel Stride are among those who have left the shadow front bench, while Alex Burghart has been appointed Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party.

Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on 1 September that he will resign as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, triggering a by-election in the constituency. Starmer, who stepped down as Prime Minister in July, said he intends to focus on international affairs as well as work relating to violence against women and girls. His departure sparks the first Westminster by-election since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.

Also this week

Government

• Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Logistics Keir Mather held a roundtable at East Midlands Airport on 3 September, with participants including Rachel Taylor MP, Chair of the APPG for Freight and Logistics and MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth and Logistics UK President Phil Roe. Discussions focused on opportunities for air cargo growth and regional regeneration, future investment and expansion plans, barriers to growth, infrastructure and capacity requirements, planning and regulatory considerations, and the importance of surface access and connectivity.
• The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) introduced video evidence for dangerous defects identified during HGV and public service vehicle annual tests. Vehicle examiners can now record up to 10 seconds of footage through the Vehicle Testing App where a photograph does not provide sufficient evidence. The footage will be stored securely alongside the vehicle’s test record and is intended to help resolve disputes and appeals more efficiently.

Parliament

• The Transport Committee held its first sessions on the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement on 2 September, with witnesses highlighting Heathrow’s importance for freight while raising concerns about gaps in the government’s economic assessment, freight forecasting and surface access plans. The Department for Transport also confirmed it is correcting errors in its modelling and that some benefits, including lower air freight costs, are not currently quantified.
• The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill began its House of Lords Committee Stage on 1 September. Peers debated powers relating to high-risk technology vendors, AI and critical suppliers, while the government confirmed that regulated organisations will be expected to manage cyber risks across their supply chains.

Devolved, regional and local

• Logistics UK responded to the Northern Ireland Assembly Infrastructure Committee’s call for evidence on the Harbours Bill, supporting proposals to modernise the governance of Northern Ireland’s Trust Ports and give them greater operational flexibility, commercial agility and autonomy. The response also backed a statutory harbour directions regime, while emphasising the importance of consulting port users and ensuring the legislation can accommodate future developments in trade, technology and decarbonisation.
• The Scottish Government’s published its Programme for Government on 1 September, which includes reforms to ferry services and a wider review of Scotland’s transport bodies to reduce duplication and improve service delivery, including bringing Transport Scotland within government.
• The Scottish Government launched a consultation on 1 September on draft legislation to introduce price caps on essential food items sold by large supermarket chains in stores and online. The consultation closes on 24 November 2026. Logistics UK also joined 22 other business groups in calling on First Minister John Swinney to abandon proposals for a statutory food price cap, warning that it would increase costs across the food and drink supply chain.

Other

• Reform UK launched its Planning Teal Paper at its party conference on 3 September. The paper proposes measures to accelerate housing and commercial development, including prioritising brownfield sites, streamlining planning and environmental requirements, reforming local plans and introducing tax incentives for development. It also launches a consultation on business rates, including whether out-of-town distribution warehouses should be subject to a different rating system as part of efforts to revitalise high streets and town centres. The consultation closes on 31 December. Logistics UK Interim Director of Policy and Communications Ben Garratt attended the launch and the Reform UK business day.
• The SNP’s annual Business Day took place on 4 September. Alexandra Herdman, Logistics UK’s Policy Lead for Scotland, attended the event, which brought together businesses and policymakers to discuss economic priorities and the operating environment for industry in Scotland
• UK petrol prices reached their highest level since November 2022 on 28 August, with the average price rising to 161.6p per litre, while diesel averaged 183.4p per litre, according to the AA. The increase comes amid continued volatility in global oil markets due to the Iran conflict.

Coming up

• On Monday 7 September, Chancellor John Healey is expected to deliver his first major speech in the role, setting out the government’s approach to economic growth ahead of the Autumn Budget.
• On Monday 7 September, the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill will continue its Committee Stage in the House of Lords. There will also be a session on Wednesday 9 September.
• On Tuesday 8 September, the Railways Bill begins its Committee Stage in the House of Lords. There will also be a session on Thursday 10 September. Several amendments proposed by Logistics UK and Rail Freight Group have been tabled.
• The Transport Committee will hold further sessions for its inquiry into the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 September. Logistics UK Interim Director of Policy and Communications Ben Garratt will give evidence at 9:15am on Wednesday alongside representatives from International Airlines Group, easyJet and the Airline Operators Committee.
• On Wednesday 23 September, the Department for Transport’s ZEV Mandate review team will join Logistics UK’s Decarbonisation Working Group meeting (09:30–11:30) to update members and answer questions. All members are welcome to attend; to register, contact Working Group Secretary Stephanie Haszczyn.