LONDON: King Charles III outlined Labour’s first programme for government in 15 years on Wednesday (Jul 17), with promises of economic stability and tougher action on irregular immigration to improving relations with Europe soured by Brexit.
“We will unlock growth and take the brakes off Britain,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in introductory remarks to the King’s Speech, a centuries-old tradition full of pomp and ceremony that details the laws the government proposes to make over the next 12 months.
Despite its name, the address, which marks the official start of the new parliamentary session, is not written by the monarch as head of state but by the government. It was centre-left Labour’s first such speech since it was last in power in 2010.
Labour returned to government following a landslide win against the Tories earlier this month.
Wearing the diamond-studded Imperial State Crown, a Royal Navy outfit and long robe, Charles delivered Labour’s proposals from a golden throne in the House of Lords upper chamber after travelling from Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession.
The speech included more than 35 Bills, including measures to enforce public spending rules and an independent assessment of future budgets to prevent a repeat of former prime minister Liz Truss’s disastrous 2022 mini-budget that tanked the economy.
The legislation fleshed out several announcements already made, such as the launching of a wealth fund to draw investment into the UK and of a publicly owned body tasked with boosting clean energy by 2030.
Labour also announced an acceleration of housebuilding, plans to renationalise Britain’s much-maligned rail services.
There was also detail of a new border security command with beefed-up “counter-terror powers” to curb “immigration crime” – Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs” behind small boats crossings of the Channel by migrants from northern France.
