The King’s Speech is the epitome of pomp and ceremony, with hours of coverage and preparation of a twenty-minute speech. This morning, the King made the journey from Buckingham Palace over to the House of Lords for the State opening of Parliament, while Buckingham Palace took Samatha Dixon MP “hostage” while the King is in Parliament; an old tradition, to ensure the King’s safe return.
The contents of the speech were a repetition of what we’ve heard from the Labour Party over the six weeks of the election campaign. With a mandate of growth, growth, growth, the King said the word repeatedly throughout the first two minutes of his speech, also reiterating the Labour mantra of “Get Britain Building.” Other pledges, which have been repeated time and again during the Labour campaign, included nationalisation plans for GB Railways, the creation the GB Energy company, a Border Security Command, House of Lords Reform, the end to VAT exemptions for private schools, and a ban on conversion therapy. The speech was just as anticipated, with little surprises, but some important Labour pledges were excluded, such as voting for 16-year-olds, a mandatory retirement age for the House of Lords, and an AI Bill.
The King also said that the government will focus on devolution to the nations and regions and intends to “repeal and replace” the Northern Ireland Troubles Act, a move very welcome across party lines in Northern Ireland, as pointed out by the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart in their post-speech comments.
From today, Parliament will start to debate the contents of the Speech for the next six sitting days, with a vote at the end. This debate is the first opportunity for MPs to deliver their maiden speeches in the House of Commons, so expect to see some fresh faces preaching their loyalty and thanks to their constituents, with little mention of the speech itself, over the next week.
