Rishi Sunak on Tuesday claimed the Government had “turned the corner” to put Britain on a “better path” as he laid out the battle lines for the next general election.
The Prime Minister unveiled his legislative plan for the next year in a King’s Speech packed with bills aimed at putting clear blue water between the Tories and Labour.
Tougher law and order measures were at the heart of the 21-bills blueprint, alongside measures to boost and modernise the economy, ease the housing crisis and improve public health.
Claiming progress on his five key pledges to halve inflation, grow the economy, cut debt, stop the “small boats” crossing the Channel and reduce NHS waiting lists, Mr Sunak said: “We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path.”
Labour, though, has accused the Prime Minister of being out of touch with the reality faced by millions of people in Britain, with the cost-of-living crisis and NHS waiting lists above 7.7 million, and polls showing the Tories trailing by 15 to 20 points.
It was the first time a King has opened Parliament since Charles’s grandfather George VI in 1950. The King, 74, wore the Imperial State Crown, containing 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, five rubies and 269 pearls, his lengthy crimson Robe of State and Admiral of the Fleet dress uniform.
Camilla, wearing the famous George IV State Diadem for the first time, used her coronation gown, designed by Bruce Oldfield, for her first State Opening as Queen consort.
They travelled in a carriage procession from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords in the Diamond State Coach. In recent years, the late Queen mostly opted for a dressed-down state opening, wearing a functional coat, day dress and hat rather than the weighty crown and robes.
Some 1,400 members of the armed forces took part in events on Tuesday, with gun salutes fired from Green Park and Tower of London. With an election expected next autumn, the key proposed new laws in the speech were:
A Sentencing Bill will mandate whole-life jail terms for killers convicted of the most horrific murders, and ensure rapists are not allowed out early. But with jails at bursting point, it also encourages custodial sentences of 12 months or less to be made suspended.
After cases of killers such as Lucy Letby refusing to face sentencing, a Criminal Justice Bill could compel their attendance. The bill will also let police raid a property, to seize stolen goods such as phones if identified by a GPS signal, without a court warrant.
* After the AI summit with Elon Musk, the speech looks to the future with bills on automated vehicles, digital markets and data protection that the PM said would “open the door to game-changing new technologies like driverless cars and machine learning”.
* A Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill aims to tackle consumer rip-offs including “subscription traps” and fake reviews.
* A Tobacco and Vapes Bill will enact Mr Sunak’s vow to gradually outlaw smoking, starting with children who turn 14 this year.
* A Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, known as “Martyn’s Law”, will seek to improve the safety and security of public venues.
* An Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill will make it easier for the intelligence services to access bulk personal data.
* The Government will mandate annual bids for North Sea oil and gas exploration in an Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill but it has been accused of watering down climate change action.
* A Football Governance Bill will create a new Independent Football Regulator to better protect clubs and fans and would prevent a repeat of the 2021 breakaway European Super League.
* A Media Bill repeals Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 which, if commenced, could have forced publishers to pay the legal costs of people who sue them, even if the publisher wins.
* An Economic Activities of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill will ban public bodies from imposing their own boycotts, divestments or sanctions campaigns against foreign countries, such as Israel.
A draft Rail Reform Bill creates “Great British Railways” to oversee the railway system, an animal welfare bill bans the exports of farm animals for slaughter and fattening, and a trade bill prepares the UK to join the trans-Pacific trade bloc.
The speech did not include a bill on conversion therapy or a mooted new civil offence to fine charities found to have given tents to rough sleepers, a suggestion which sparked controversy, particularly after Home Secretary Suella Braverman suggested some people living on the streets in tents were doing so through “lifestyle choices”.
