The new government has repeatedly emphasized economic growth, stating that “preserving economic growth will be a fundamental task.” Britain is the world’s sixth largest economy, but suffers from low productivity, stagnant wages and limited investment.
The new administration will “reset relationships with European partners”, turning a page from the Brexit-dominated years of the Conservative era.
The State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday began with pomp, with the tradition and drama of a constitutional monarchy on full display, designed to awe the public and provide legitimacy during power transitions.
The British monarch – King Charles III with his wife Queen Camilla – arrived in a Diamond Jubilee state coach pulled by six white horses. They entered Westminster through the Sovereign’s Door and proceeded to the Golden Throne in the House of Lords, with the King’s head heavy under the 2.3-pound Imperial State Crown. BBC commentators noted that it weighed more than a large bag of sugar.
It was a very dramatic change. A relatively new king studies the plans of a new government.
The King’s Speech was written entirely by the government. The king is just a messenger. Although head of state, he has no real authority beyond his ceremonial roles.
Starmer listened to the words as he stood by his defeated political opponent, former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who will now be relegated to the opposition benches in the House of Commons. Upon entering Lord’s room, the two shared some animated small talk.
After a landslide victory in the general election, Starmer and his cabinet selections officially began on 5 July. Already, Starmer represented Britain at NATO and shook hands with President Biden in the Oval Office. But on Wednesday his government set out its legislative priorities, defining what “change” means, the slogan at the heart of Labour’s successful election campaign.
As Labor won a large majority of seats in Parliament, the party actually had little to offer in its mission to rebuild Britain – except for the country’s coffers. As incoming finance minister Rachel Reeves put it, this government has got “the worst situation since the Second World War”.
According to tradition, the king’s speech was not a lofty oration but a laundry list of goals and objectives. The Starmer government outlined 40 bills it wants to pursue. The Sunak government last time mentioned 21 bills.
Anand Menon, professor of politics at King’s College London, said that “even the raw number of bills” speaks to the “level of ambition” of this new government.
The first lines of the King’s speech began: “My government will rule in the service of the country. My government’s legislative agenda will be guided by the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all.
That may resonate with this king, who has built his own career around serving the people.
Charles read the text in an emotionless voice. He is expected to be non-partisan. But he’s also known as a lifelong climate advocate — something that created some embarrassment during the last King’s Speech, when he had to read the Sunak government’s plans for a new system for issuing oil and gas licenses.
At this point, Charles read, “My government recognizes the urgency of the global climate challenge.”
Center-left Labor argues Economic growth and the green energy transition need not be in tension. As part of its “Green Prosperity Plan”, it has pledged to help create 650,000 jobs by 2030, as well as work with the private sector to double offshore wind, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind.
Labor wants to create a publicly owned green energy utility. It wants to boost the economy by encouraging the construction of houses and infrastructure. Local governments want to block new building.
“Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain,” Starmer said in a statement released ahead of the speech. “For too long people have been held back, their paths determined by where they came from — not their talents and hard work.”
Starmer is Britain’s most working-class leader in a generation. As everyone who has heard his stump speeches knows, his mother is a nurse and his father is an instrument maker. Starmer was the first in the family to attend university. He became a human rights lawyer and was knighted for his work as Britain’s chief solicitor before entering politics at the age of 52.
There were other signs of change. “Take back control” – a goal for Brexiteers – has been adopted by Labor as a slogan for reducing the “chaos” of the Conservative leadership and for a plan to devolve power away from Westminster.
Labour’s agenda promised new powers to metropolitan mayors while giving local leaders control over bus routes, a source of grumbling about poor service and hours-long waits in rural counties.
Starmer has already scrapped his predecessor’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, but in a speech on Wednesday he said the new government would establish a new “border security command” to tackle “immigration crime” and “crush gangs” behind small boats crossing the English Channel. .
Wednesdays have been days of high visibility for Charles since he revealed in February that he was starting cancer treatment. (We don’t say what kind of cancer and what kind of treatment.)
The rituals of the opening ceremony of Parliament involve many oddities. Before the king’s arrival, royal bodyguards searched the cellars for explosives. This is Guy Fawkes’s “Gunpowder Plot” of 1605, a botched attempt by English Catholics to overthrow the Protestant King James I and Parliament.
According to tradition, Black wireA senior official in the House of Lords slammed the door of the House of Commons in her face – representing the independence of the House of Commons from the monarch.
Another lawmaker was held “hostage” in Buckingham Palace, guaranteeing the King’s safe return.
