On Wednesday, Charles III will deliver the "King's Speech" during a ceremony in which he will announce the first legislative program for a Labor government in 15 years, following the landslide victory of the Labor Party over the Conservatives in the July 4th general elections.
This traditional speech, during which the king arrives in a horse-drawn carriage, marks the start of a new session of the Westminster Parliament after the elections that brought the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Downing Street. The Prime Minister stated that "the legislative program presented during the King's Speech will build on the momentum of our early days in power and will make a difference in the lives of workers," prioritizing economic growth.
Starmer confirmed upon taking office that he is "excited to implement the change" promised to the British people. In this context, he intends to announce more than 35 bills in this speech prepared by the government and delivered by the king.
This will be the first throne speech prepared by a Labor government since Gordon Brown's administration in 2009, prior to the Conservatives coming to power. Among the key pieces of legislation, there is a proposal to create a public investment fund aimed at financing the country's environmental transition, measures to accelerate housing construction, the re-nationalization of rail transport companies, and lowering the voting age to 16 from 18.
Furthermore, the Labor Party has pledged to enhance decentralization by granting more powers to local councils and mayors in major areas. One of the proposed bills will strengthen workers' rights, particularly by abolishing the so-called "zero-hour" contracts that do not guarantee a minimum working period.
The government, which based its campaign on a promise of fiscal responsibility, must grant new powers to the Office for Budget Responsibility to ensure better oversight of public spending. In addition to these labor initiatives, British media reported that the government might reintroduce legislation previously proposed by the Conservatives that had been under review in the previous legislative session, notably a law aimed at banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2009.
There should also be a reintroduction of the text concerning tenant protection against landlords, with additional measures to improve the quality of rented housing. Through this program, the Labor Party aims to "demonstrate that it can once again be what it considers the natural party of government," according to Tony McNulty, a former Labor Minister and British politics professor at Queen Mary University in London.
On the other hand, this will be the second "King's Speech" delivered by Charles since he ascended to the throne. He previously delivered his first speech in May 2022, when he stood in for his mother, Elizabeth II, due to her deteriorating health.
According to a protocol that has been simplified over the centuries while remaining steeped in tradition, the king will arrive in a gilded carriage at Westminster. Before that, the royal guard will conduct a traditional search of the parliamentary vaults for explosives, in reference to the failed attempts by Catholics to blow up the building in 1605. Additionally, one member of Parliament will be symbolically held "hostage" at Buckingham Palace to ensure the "safe return of the king" to his residence.
King Charles III will sit wearing the ceremonial imperial crown on the throne of the House of Lords, with his wife Camilla to his left. Afterwards, about 250 MPs will be summoned in the House of Commons. The king will deliver the speech in a measured tone to affirm his political neutrality. Charles, an environmental advocate, respected this tradition last November when he had to announce the intention of Rishi Sunak's government to grant new licenses in the oil and gas sector.
Tony McNulty remarked, "This speech is likely to include more topics favored by the king compared to the previous speech, but he will deliver it with an emotionless face. That is his role."
