LONDON: In a momentous occasion, Charles III, the 74-year-old monarch, delivered the first King’s Speech in over 70 years, formally inaugurating the UK parliament and setting the stage for an impending election.
This ceremonial address, given from a grand throne in the House of Lords, is Charles’s first as the reigning monarch, although he had a rehearsal when deputizing for Queen Elizabeth II last year.
The speech carries immense importance as it offers Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the opportunity to outline his government’s legislative agenda, especially considering the upcoming election and the Conservative Party’s current double-digit deficit in most opinion polls against the Labour Party.
Richard Carr, an associate professor in public policy and strategy at Anglia Ruskin University, noted, “The King’s Speech represents one of the last chances for Rishi Sunak to set out his stall.” Given his lower polling numbers, Sunak can use this moment to shape the national agenda and influence what supportive media outlets report, thus creating challenges for the opposition.
The traditional state opening of parliament involves the sovereign traveling in a carriage from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament. An interesting tradition involves an MP being ceremonially “held hostage” to ensure the king’s safe return. Additionally, royal bodyguards conduct a ritual search for explosives in the Palace of Westminster’s basement, a legacy of the infamous Gunpowder Plot in 1605.
The King leads a procession through the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber of parliament, before delivering the speech to an audience comprising lords, ladies, and invited members of the elected House of Commons.
In this speech, Sunak is expected to emphasize the stark policy differences between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, particularly in areas related to the environment and energy. His legislative proposals are set to include a law granting new licenses for annual oil and gas projects in the North Sea, with the goal of reducing the UK’s dependence on foreign energy and stimulating job creation.
Sunak’s stance may appear at odds with Charles’s long-standing commitment to environmental causes. The speech will also touch upon issues like tougher sentencing guidelines for life terms and an end to early release for some violent sexual offenders. A phased smoking ban and reforms to home ownership laws, announced at the Tory conference, are also expected to feature in the King’s Speech.
This ceremonial event heralds the start of a new parliamentary year and serves as a roadmap for the legislation the government aims to pass over the next 12 months. While a Tory defeat in the upcoming election is not certain due to their substantial parliamentary majority, it would potentially mean that much of the proposed legislation might not come to fruition. Public sentiment and the electorate’s view of Conservative governance are factors that Sunak must contend with as he presents his legislative agenda.
