I spent my Wednesday evening, as one does, scanning the latest parliamentary updates over a cup of coffee. And honestly? It was more chaotic than a WhatsApp group chat planning US Defence Strategy.
Let’s talk vapes. The government is pressing ahead with legislation that will ban the sale of disposable vapes and restrict marketing that targets children. The health secretary said the move aims to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine. Honestly? About time. For years, these candy-coloured gadgets have skirted under the radar. This bill—set to pass with cross-party support—finally puts some muscle behind the warnings.
Now visas. Immigration reform has once again taken centre stage. The latest proposals tinker with the points-based system, introduce stricter salary thresholds for family visas, and make sponsorship rules more cumbersome for SMEs. This matters. If you’re a small business trying to grow with overseas talent, you’re facing another mountain of paperwork and cost.
Meanwhile, in the quiet corners of Parliament, there’s a quiet movement gaining traction—reform of cohabitation law. No-fault divorce was the warm-up. Now, there’s finally serious talk about giving legal recognition to long-term cohabiting couples. About 3.6 million such couples in the UK currently have little to no legal protection. If this gains momentum, it’ll be one of the biggest family law changes in decades.
And of course, amendments—some welcome, some baffling—are trickling in on everything from procurement rules to tax relief schemes. If you blink, you’ll miss them.
The real takeaway? Legislative change is messy. It’s reactive, emotional, and rarely straightforward. But if you want to understand the legal landscape of tomorrow, it’s worth tuning in to what’s unfolding today.