In normal circumstances, the state opening of parliament would be a blockbuster event in the political calendar. But these are not normal circumstances. The King’s Speech provided the government with a moment of calm in a week in which the Prime Minister looked under more peril than ever. By Tuesday evening (12 May) almost 90 MPs had called on him to resign, including four junior ministers. Buckingham Palace had even reportedly asked No 10 if they would like to delay, owing to events. But the King’s Speech went on, giving Keir Starmer’s government the opportunity to lay out the policy agenda it intends to pursue in this next, newly opened session of parliament.
Sitting on his throne in the House of Lords, King Charles began his third King’s Speech (his second under Starmer’s leadership) by warning of a “dangerous and volatile world”. Highlighting the war in the Middle East, the King said the government would introduce legislation heavily focused on measures to safeguard national security through increases in defence spending, and measures to improve energy security and housing.
This was the government’s first opportunity to respond directly to voters after a damaging set of local election results. Yet there were few surprises. Among the 37 bills announced today were pledges to abolish NHS England, give the UK energy independence, a pledge to introduce the Hillsborough law and to end the leasehold system in England and Wales. The speech hinted at the return of previous controversies: legislation on reforms to the jury trial system, the introduction of digital ID cards and plans to make it harder for migrants to gain settled status will all return to the Commons. After the events of the past few weeks, it is unlikely that the government will find it any easier to get these measures past their disgruntled backbenchers.
Following Starmer’s pledge on Monday to look once again at the UK’s relationship with the EU, the King’s Speech included a bill which will lay the groundwork to adopt more European regulations. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s work on reforms to special educational needs provision will also go ahead as planned, as will the government’s pledges to reform the Right to Buy. The government’s pledge to increase defence spending was included, as was a pledge to continue to promote the “two-state solution in Israel and Palestine”. And Ed Miliband’s work on clean power and energy security will be bolstered by an energy independence bill.
Starmer had hoped to use this moment as yet another reset for his beleaguered administration. It was quickly overshadowed by Wes Streeting. Shortly after the King had finished speaking, reports emerged that Streeting will imminently resign from the cabinet in order to announce his much-anticipated leadership bid. The Health Secretary met with the PM this morning in Downing Street, perhaps in an attempt to cool tensions. (It clearly failed. The meeting lasted just 16 minutes.)
But that wasn’t the only reason that this speech failed to usher in a new era for this government. In a speech on Monday, Starmer told a gathered group of Labour activists and lobby journalists that “incremental change won’t cut it”. Yet much of the legislation announced in the King’s Speech today seems to be just that – a continuation of work that the government was already doing. Still, Westminster’s eyes are unlikely to be on the fall-out from this latest reiteration of the Starmer project. They are looking instead at Wes Streeting.
[Further reading: Inside the dramatic two days that nearly brought down Keir Starmer]
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