King Charles III and Queen Camilla sat at their thrones in the House of Lords
Credit: The Royal Family /fb
King Charles III gave his second King’s Speech today, marking this year s State Opening of Parliament.
The Royals arrive
The King and Queen Camilla first arrived at the Sovereign’s Entrance at around 11:20 am this morning, July 17, before heading to put on the Imperial State Crown and ceremonial robes in the Robing Room.
King Charles then led the Royal Procession through the Royal Gallery to the chamber of the House of Lords before taking his seat on the throne, where he delivered his speech.
Laying forth Labour s plan
In his speech, The King laid forth Labour’s vision for the future of the country, and the legislation the government will be working on implementing in the coming months.
Labour came to power at the start of July, ending 14 years of Tory government, appointing Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Starmer is bringing in a roster of new bills to change the direction of the country.
Keir Starmer addressed the Lords and Members of the House of Commons before introducing the King’s Speech, stating “My government will be committed to uniting the country in our shared mission of national renewal”, strongly following with “We will serve every person, regardless of how they voted, to fix the foundations of this nation for the long term. The era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over.”
His Majesty first reiterated Sir Starmer s statements, saying “Stability will be the cornerstone of my Government’s economic policy and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules.”
This began the first piece of legislation laid out by the King, which emphasised Labour s mission of economic growth.
Budget Responsibility Bill
This bill will require major tax or spending changes to be subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility, introducing a fiscal lock, a policy that has been long awaited by the Labour Party.
The King expressed it was his government s objective to see rising living standards in all regions in the United Kingdom.
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The King’s Speech also included the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which seeks to “accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing.”
This bill will also reform compulsory purchase order rules and help support local planning authorities across the UK.
Employment Rights Bill
King Charles then introduced the Employment Rights Bill, which the Labour government is implementing to strengthen employment laws as they are “committed to making work pay” and will legislate “to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights.”
These exploitative practices refer to zero-hour contracts, ‘fire and rehire’ practices, as well as improving Statutory Sick Pay and parental sick leave.
The English Devolution Bill
The English Devolution Bill was introduced too, legislation that will “give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities”. The King stated, “This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities.”
Public ownership for public transport
In another step forward for local communities, King Charles introduced the Better Buses Bill, Passenger Railway Services Bill and the Rail Reform Bill.
“Taken together, these policies will enhance Britain’s position as a leading industrial nation” confirmed the King, adding these will “enable the country to take advantage of new opportunities that can promote growth and wealth creation.”
Great British Energy Bill
The growing urgency of the global climate challenge was also addressed by His Majesty and his government when King Charles said the Labour Party are “committed to a clean energy transition which will lower energy bills”. A bill has been introduced to set up Great British Energy a publicly owned clean power company headquartered in Scotland which will accelerate investments into renewable energy.
This is the Great British Energy Bill, a flagship of the Labour Party and the one they have invested the funding in.
The Great British Energy will be a publicly owned company that owns, manages and operates clean power projects in the UK.
Special Measures Bill (Water Bill)
The King also addressed “the need to improve water quality” with his government’s bill to strengthen the powers of the water regulator, putting water companies under stricter, special measures.
The Children s Wellbeing Bill
The Children’s Wellbeing Bill was introduced in the King’s Speech “to raise standards in education”, adding that measures will be brought forward to remove the exemption from VAT for private schools, enabling “the funding of six and a half thousand new teachers”.
The Renters Rights Bill
To support people renting their homes, the Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced, giving greater rights and protections to those who rent, including the removal of no-fault evictions.
The National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) was addressed in the King’s Speech, a dividing point for the nation in recent years.
King Charles said the government will improve the NHS by “providing care on the basis of need regardless of the ability to pay.”
The King and the government seek to reduce wait times, prevent and improve mental health for young people, and ensure mental health is given the same attention and focus as physical health, modernising the Mental Health Act to make it “fit for the twenty-first century.”
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
To progressively decrease the number of cigarette and vape smokers, the King introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will increase the minimum age to purchase these products and impose limits on the selling and marketing of them.
Carried over from the Conservative government, this bill prevents anyone born after January 1, 2009, from ever purchasing tobacco products.
Reuniting the United Kingdom
In a move to strengthen work with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the King’s Ministers will establish a new Council of the Nations and Regions to renew opportunities for the Prime Minister, heads of devolved governments and mayors ensuring “that the best outcomes possible are delivered for citizens across the United Kingdom.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister, has previously insisted, however, that the United Kindom will not return to the European Union within his lifetime
Modernisation of the House of Commons
The Labour government also proposes a modernisation committee of the House of Commons, which will be “tasked with driving up standards, improving work practices and reforming procedures.”
The European Union
The King also expressed his new government’s approach to Europe, following the vote for Brexit in 2020, stating they “will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the European Union.”
Sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister, has previously insisted, however, that the United Kindom will not return to the European Union within his lifetime
King Charles conclusion
King Charles III ended his speech with “I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.”
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Originally from the UK, Harry Sinclair is a journalist and freelance writer based in Almeria covering local stories and international news, with a keen interest in arts and culture. If you have a news story please feel free to get in touch at [email protected].
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