State opening of UK parliament could be disrupted by security staff strikes

Black Rod, Sarah Clarke (2nd left), and the Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle (3rd left), walk through Westminster’s central lobby at last year’s state opening. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Next month’s state opening of parliament, one of the set-piece events in the UK political calendar, could face serious disruption after House of Commons security staff announced they would strike to coincide with it.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents 250 parliamentary security staff who announced initial plans for a strike earlier this month, said any delays or queues on 7 November, when King Charles will deliver his first speech to parliament as monarch, would be the fault of the management.