King Charles has delivered his first king’s speech, outlining the UK government’s plans for laws to create potential dividing lines with Labour before the next general election with a tough approach to criminal justice and the green agenda, but little legislation to improve Britain’s struggling public services.
The king paid tribute to his mother the late Queen Elizabeth’s “legacy of service and devotion” as he conducted the state opening of parliament for the first time as monarch.
The government announced 21 bills for what is almost certainly the final session of parliament before voters go to the polls, the lowest number since 2014, including seven that were carried over.
With crime and justice a big point of contention with Keir Starmer’s Labour party, the speech confirmed ministers would bring forward bills covering sentencing laws, police powers and the treatment of victims of crime.
An annual system for awarding oil and gas licences was also announced, with the government saying it would protect jobs and bolster energy security. Labour would block new domestic exploration licences if it won power.
However, the proposals that were left out of Rishi Sunak’s first king’s speech attracted as much attention. These included plans to stop councils bringing in low traffic neighbourhoods, regulation of artificial intelligence and a ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people.
In his introduction to the speech, Sunak attempted once again to define himself as the change candidate, despite the his legislative plan for the next year including no surprises.
“We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path,” he said. “But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs.”
Downing Street emphasised the law and order policies, including previously announced proposals for killers convicted of the most horrific murders to never be released from jail. Rapists and other serious sexual offenders would not be let out early from prison sentences under the plans.
Other measures include handing police greater powers to enter a property without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as phones. Senior Tories hope a focus on issues seen as traditionally Tory will help Sunak overturn Labour’s consistently double-digit poll lead.
Allies of the prime minister also believe the Labour leader’s record as director of public prosecutions could prove to be a weak point.
One mooted change that was not included in the speech was a ban on tents for homeless people, a measure that was reported over the weekend but triggered a backlash even from Conservative backbenchers.
With a general election expected next year, the speech set out legislation to mandate annual oil and gas licensing in the North Sea – which the Tories hope will draw another political dividing line with Labour, which has said it would block new licence applications.
Experts, including climate scientists and poverty campaigners, have warned against plans to keep drilling. The energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, has admitted that household energy bills may not come down as a result of the proposal.
While public services including health and education were mentioned in the speech, there was no new legislation to either reform the NHS or to bring in Sunak’s plans to replace A-levels and T-levels with a new single “advanced British standard” qualification.
The only health-related bill would introduce a gradual “generational” ban on smoking and “crack down” on vapes for children, despite promises last year of a big piece of legislation to modernise the Mental Health Act.
However, Michael Gove, the housing secretary, will bring forward two of his long-promised reform packages, one to give renters extra rights and one to protect leaseholders. Both, however, have been watered down in significant ways.
The boycotts bill is seen by some as an attempt to draw another dividing line with the opposition, as Labour fails to remain united in its response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The move is designed to stop councils enacting boycott and divestment campaigns against Israel, and has caused anger among some Tories, who believe it gives special treatment to the Israeli government.
A law to change the structure and operation of the railways in Britain by setting up a new body, Great British Railways, to control and manage all aspects of the railways, was only in “draft” form, meaning it is unlikely to happen before the next election.
There was also legislation on self-driving vehicles, with buses, grocery deliveries and farm machinery potentially operating autonomously by the end of the decade. Pedicabs will be banned from the streets of London.
The speech set out plans to abolish a key piece of press regulation law, which will result in the rolling back of a law that left newspapers liable for the legal costs of both sides in libel cases, regardless of the result. There will also be increased regulation of streaming services, giving the regulator Ofcom the authority to consider complaints about shows on Netflix and Disney+.
