All the payments to move and fall – from smoking ban fail to postmasters’ victory

Rishi Sunak’s shock General Election announcement caused chaos for legislation that is currently passing through Parliament.

The parliamentary session is coming to an end, with a two-day “wash up” period to push through any final bills concluding on Friday. Some legislation had been pushed, with victory for subpostmasters, who will be exonerated from Horizon scandal convictions, and for infected blood victims, who will finally get compensation.

A bill is the name for draft legislation going through Parliament before it received royal assent from the King and becomes a law. Bills have to pass through the Commons, where they can be voted on and are scrutinised. Once it is passed by MPs, it then goes through the same process in the Lords.

Legislation in its final stages can be pushed through quickly but bills at the start of the process will “fall”, meaning they don’t become law. A new Government can start again with a bill if it wishes.

The Mirror has rounded up some of the key bills with all the details on whether they’ve passed or now below.

Infected blood compensation passed

Parliament has backed the law required to set up the independent Infected Blood Compensation Authority. The Victims and Prisoners Bill makes provision for the body, which the House of Commons backed during its final sitting day before the General Election – a process known as “wash-up”.

The Bill more widely seeks to strengthen the support and guidance offered to victims of crime and major incidents and those suffering bereavement. London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman said its passing was “a historic moment for victims”.

“I first spearheaded this campaign over a decade ago and have worked tirelessly for this Bill to place victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, calling on the Government to deliver change for victims and ensure their rights to justice and support,” she said. “The final passage of the Bill today is a significant milestone for our criminal justice system and recognises the central role victims play in bringing offenders to justice.”

PM’s legacy tobacco ban up in smoke

Rishi Sunak’s landmark tobacco ban looks set to go up in smoke as it won’t pass through Parliament before the General Election. The Prime Minister had promised to prevent anyone born after 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes.

Mr Sunak promised that the Conservatives would “ensure that the next generation grows up smoke free” when he called the election on Wednesday. He had also hoped to restrict colourful, disposable vapes. But the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was not on the short list of bills being rushed through before Parliament before MPs are sent home for the election campaign on Friday.

The shelving of the policy leave the Prime Minister’s legacy increasingly threadbare. Speaking in Belfast as part of his whirlwind campaign tour of the UK, Mr Sunak: “The smoking ban – of course disappointed not be able to get that through at the end of the session given the time available.”

Subpostmasters exonerated of Horizon convictions

In a major victory to subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal, the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill has been pushed through Parliament. It will quash convictions of theft, fraud, false accounting and other offences for subpostmasters who have suffered, and relevant cautions will be deleted from records.

The Bill will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, affecting those who were prosecuted by the Post Office, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or Northern Ireland authorities in the years 1996 to 2018. The Scottish Parliament will pass its own law to a similar effect.

Former subpostmaster Lee Williamson reacted with “joy” after Parliament backed the legislation. The 49-year-old, who ran the Post Office in Portstewart, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation in 2014 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for three years. The Horizon system had wrongly made it look like money was missing from his accounts. Mr Williamson has been battling a lengthy Court of Appeal process since 2022.

He said he had a “lot of emotion” after the news on Thursday evening, adding: “It’s been a difficult 12 years, I’m very grateful that it’s through. I’m still coming to terms with it. My overriding emotion is joy and gratefulness.”

Renters betrayed as reform bill falls

The Tories won’t meet their manifesto commitment to abolish no-fault evictions before the General Election as MPs scramble to push outstanding laws through Parliament today.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which would ban landlords from evicting tenants without a good reason, will not become law before Parliament shuts up shop for the election campaign. The promise was included in the 2019 Tory manifesto but the legislation has been repeatedly delayed and watered down in the face of pressure form landlords.

Housing and homelessness charities and campaigners said it is “unacceptable” that the Bill would not pass and called on political parties to commit to abolishing Section 21 so-called no-fault evictions.

Football fans to get ‘on the lash’ as Euros alcohol hours extended

An order to extend licensing hours during the Euros football tournament, that will enable “people to get properly on the lash”, has passed through the House of Lords and is ready for royal assent.

The order to the Licensing Act 2003 (Uefa European Football Championship Licensing Hours) will extend sales of alcohol if either England or Scotland reach the semi-final or the final of the Euros, meaning premises will be allowed to remain open until 1am without having to notify the licensing authority.

Conservative peer Lord Sharpe of Epsom told the Lords: “So much of the business at the Home Office is difficult, so it gives me particular pleasure that my last outing basically enables people to get properly on the lash.” He added: “My Lords, please drink responsibly.”

PM ‘misled’ bereaved mum over Martyn’s law

The PM had promised to introduce Martyn’s Law, which would require venues and local authorities in the UK to have training requirements and preventative plans against terror attacks. The law was due to be introduced under the Terrorism (Protection of premises) draft bill, which has not even had its first hearing in the Commons.

Hours before he announced the election, Mr Sunak met with Figen Murray, the mum of Martyn Hett – one of 22 people killed in the blast at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 – and told her he would make it a law. Ms Murray, who had walked 200 miles to Downing Street to deliver a letter to the PM calling for his support for the law, said she “felt misled by the Prime Minister”.

On Friday he insisted he had not deceived Ms Murray and that he is committed to bringing in the law. Mr Sunak said he had promised to introduce it by the summer recess, and assuming he wins the election, added: “The election is in the first week of July. Parliament will reconvene immediately after that, so there will still be time to bring that law in before summer recess, and that’s what I remain committed to doing. “

Ms Murray responded: “It’s great that the PM is now saying he will support Martyn’s Law if elected – and I thank him for that. But Martyn’s Law was a commitment for the last Parliament, not the next one, and I feel let down by all the promises that were made and broken.”

Independent football regulator plan flops

The Football Governance bill, which set out plans to create a football regulator, did not make the cut. In March Premier League clubs failed to agree a “New Deal” for funding for the English Football League (EFL).

Former sports minister Tracey Crouch said “unfortunately” the bill will not progress and demanded a “final plea” to the Premier League and EFL: “Please, for the sake of football, sit back down and start negotiating a deal. The impasse is infuriating. I know it is complex. But please, agree a deal.”

An open letter signed by Ms Crouth and more than 170 fan groups demands political parties commit to reintroducing the bill in their election manifesto.

Leasehold bill passes – but reforms left out

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill was pushed through Parliament just hours before it shut up shop for the election. But Conservative peers accused the Government of “rushing through” the legislation, which was hoped to reform property law in England and Wales.

Labour frontbencher Lord Kennedy of Southwark said the Government should be “ashamed” for failing to include reforms on ground rent and forfeiture in the bill. He added: “This is far, far short of what was promised … and the Government should be ashamed of the fact, the way it has behaved over the last few years, and behaved over this Bill, making promise after promise after promise, and delivering very, very little.”

Conservative peer Lord Howard of Rising said of Friday’s proceedings: “It’s a disgrace. It’s not washing-up, it’s letting all the water out. You’ve got a major piece of legislation that creates certain precedents and it’s being rushed through here without a moment’s notice.”