London, Jul 17 (PTI) King Charles III on Wednesday outlined the new Labour government’s legislative plans for the year ahead at the State Opening of Parliament, days after the UK’s landmark general election.
The King’s Speech, setting out the parliamentary agenda of the newly elected Labour Party government, included nearly 40 pieces of legislation as well as other policy priorities that Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to implement.
The key highlights of the speech focus on economic growth, housebuilding and nationalisation of railways with measures focused on “creating wealth in every corner of the country and improving the living standards of working people”.
“My government’s legislative programme will be mission-led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all,” the 75-year-old monarch said, reading out the customary speech drafted by the government.
“Securing economic growth will be a fundamental mission. My government will seek a new partnership with both business and working people and help the country move on from the recent cost of living challenges by prioritising wealth creation for all communities,” he noted.
Earlier, King Charles and Queen Camilla rode in a horse-drawn carriage from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster in London as part of the pomp and pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament.
In a tradition dating back centuries, the British monarch wore a bejewelled Imperial State Crown and Robe of State as he delivered the address marking the first day of a new parliamentary session.
The monarch, in his capacity as Head of State, arrived at the Sovereign’s Entrance to Parliament and subsequently led the royal procession to the chamber of the House of Lords where a senior officer known as Black Rod summoned members of the House of Commons into the Lord’s Chamber to listen to the speech.
Ahead of that, the royal bodyguards ceremonially searched the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives, commemorating the “gunpowder plot” of 1605 – a failed attempt by English Catholics to blow up the Protestant King James I and Parliament.
In keeping with that tradition, one member of Parliament is always ceremonially held “hostage” in Buckingham Palace while the Sovereign attends Parliament, to ensure the King’s safe return. This role fell upon the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Samantha Dixon MP, a government Whip.
Before entering the Commons chamber, the door is shut in Black Rod’s face and the official strikes the door three times before it is opened. This practice symbolises the independence of the House of Commons from the monarchy.
Once the King and Queen left the chamber, marking an end to the regal aspects of the occasion, the new parliamentary session formally began with both the House of Commons and Lords beginning to debate the contents of the speech for several days before it could be voted on.
The government has said that its package of bills focuses on growing the economy through speeding up the building of houses and infrastructure, improving transport, creating more jobs and securing clean, green energy – “helping to make every part of the country better off”.
Among the key pieces of legislation proposed by the new Labour government, all new tax and spending changes must legally be assessed by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – aimed at over-riding scenarios such as the disastrous mini-budget tabled by former prime minister Liz Truss which sent financial markets into freefall in September 2022.
A liberalisation of the planning laws to “get Britain building” and an employment rights bill have also been tabled, alongside plans to increase the devolution to mayors and combined authorities across England.
A new Great British Rail to govern the train system and Great British Energy as a publicly-owned clean power company to accelerate investment in renewable energy are among the other bills to be tabled.
Fulfilling the party’s manifesto commitments, Starmer has proposed reforms to the House of Lords to reduce the size of the chamber. One of former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s dropped pieces of legislation, a rolling ban on smoking for youngsters, has been revived by the new government. PTI AK GSP AKJ GSP
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