Economy, immigration, the United Kingdom’s relations with Europe, but also transport and housing: Charles III set out the priorities of the new Labour government on Wednesday in his traditional King’s Speech, a solemn ceremony at the reopening of Parliament.
The Speech from the Throne, or King’s Speech, is delivered by the Sovereign but written by the government. It is an opportunity for the new ruling party to set out its priorities in Westminster. It was the first for a Labour government in 15 years, following the general election on 4 July which saw Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer take over from 14 years in power.
Wearing the ceremonial imperial crown and a long robe, Charles III, who arrived at Parliament in a golden carriage from Buckingham Palace, read the text in a monotonous tone, a way of marking the sovereign’s political neutrality.
The government, which had built its campaign on a promise of budgetary “seriousness”, has first highlighted “economic stability”. It will have its future budgets “independently” assessed by the public budget forecasting body, the OBR, to ensure better control of public spending.
In the fall of 2022, Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss sowed panic in financial markets with unfunded tax cuts. It remains a trauma in the country.
The new government also wants to “redefine” relations between the United Kingdom and its “European partners”, almost eight years after the Brexit vote. It “will work to improve trade and investment relations with the European Union”.
To combat illegal immigration, the government will create a new security force with “anti-terrorist powers”. It will aim to “strengthen” the fight against people smugglers.
The day after coming to power, Keir Starmer confirmed that he was abandoning the Conservatives’ plan to expel illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda.
Symbolic hostage
Keir Starmer also wants to abolish hereditary members of the House of Lords, the upper house of parliament.
On Northern Ireland, the new government has pledged to repeal a controversial law that was meant to end inquiries, civil cases and criminal prosecutions for crimes related to the Troubles period and grant immunity to veterans from all sides.
The promises followed one after the other in this long list, which also included measures to accelerate housing construction and to renationalise rail transport companies.
The government is also taking up promises made by the Conservatives, in particular the law aimed at banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2009.
The speech from the throne was the first by a Labour government since Gordon Brown’s government in 2009, before the Conservatives came to power a few months later.
The government had explained that this speech would include more than 35 draft laws.
As Charles III read the speech, anti-monarchy protesters chanted “Not my king” outside Parliament.
Police said they arrested about ten members of the activist group Youth Demand on suspicion of wanting to cause a public nuisance.
Keir Starmer, 61, said shortly after coming to power that he was “eager to deliver the change” promised to the British people.
With this programme, Labour wants to “show that they can once again become what they consider to be the natural party of government”, Tony McNulty, a former Labour minister and professor of British politics at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP.
This is the second King’s Speech delivered by Charles III since his accession to the throne in September 2022. In May of that year, as Prince of Wales, he had also replaced his mother Elizabeth II, whose health was declining.
Charles III sat on the throne in the House of Lords, with his wife Camilla to his left.
Shortly before his arrival at Westminster, royal guards had searched the cellars of Parliament for explosives, a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up the building in 1605.
A female MP was symbolically held hostage at Buckingham Palace until the “king’s safe return” to his residence.