King Charles III will deliver Labour’s first programme for government in 15 years on Wednesday, marking the reopening of the UK Parliament following the July 4 election.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to prioritize economic growth in his legislative agenda as Labour takes charge after a 14-year hiatus from power.
“The legislative agenda outlined in the King’s Speech will build on our initial days in office and positively impact the lives of working people,” stated Starmer, whose party secured a decisive victory over the Conservatives.
Despite its name, the speech is crafted by the government to outline proposed laws for the upcoming year.
Adorned in the diamond-studded Imperial State Crown and a crimson robe, King Charles will present over 35 bills from a golden throne in the House of Lords during an elaborate ceremony.
The speech is anticipated to cover measures enforcing fiscal discipline and preventing future spikes in utility bills that fueled recent cost-of-living concerns.
Additionally, it will detail plans such as a new investment fund to attract capital to the UK and the establishment of a state-owned entity to promote clean energy by 2030.
Labour is expected to announce reinstated housebuilding targets, initiatives to renationalize rail services, and the launch of recruitment for a new border security command.
Legislation to enhance workers’ rights, including a ban on zero-hour contracts, and stronger tenant protections are also likely to be featured, marking Labour’s return to center-left policy priorities since losing power in 2010.
“This is an ambitious agenda from a party eager to demonstrate its readiness to govern once more,” commented former Labour minister Tony McNulty.
The day’s proceedings will commence at 9:30 am (0830 GMT) with ceremonial security checks at the Palace of Westminster, a tradition dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
King Charles will travel by carriage from Buckingham Palace to Parliament, escorted by mounted cavalry, and a symbolic “hostage” MP will be kept at the Palace to ensure the monarch’s safe return.
In a symbolic gesture of parliamentary independence, the House of Commons door will be ceremoniously shut in the face of Black Rod, an official representing the monarch.
MPs will then proceed to the House of Lords, where King Charles, maintaining his non-partisan role, will deliver the speech to assembled peers and invited members of the Commons by mid-morning.
“While King Charles remains politically neutral, his commitment to environmental causes may influence his reception of this agenda,” noted McNulty, a British politics expert at Queen Mary University of London.
“He will uphold tradition by delivering the speech with impartiality, reflecting his constitutional role.”
