Charles to deliver first King's Speech under Labour government
The King is to deliver the first King's Speech under a Labour government at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.
The speech, which is the second of Charles' reign and the first Speech from the Throne under a Labour government for 14 years, will unveil the party's agenda for the next 12 months.
It's the first time we'll hear in detail which parts of the party's manifesto will become legislation.
The new government has said it will unveil more than 35 bills during the speech, with ministers promising legislation focused on economic growth in order to "create wealth in every part of the UK."
The bills expected to be announced include promises on housebuilding, workers' rights, tackling illegal migration, and securing clean energy.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s State Opening of Parliament, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain.
“For too long people have been held back, their paths determined by where they came from, not their talents and hard work.
“I am determined to create wealth for people up and down the country. It is the only way our country can progress, and my Government is focused on supporting that aspiration.”
The speech is expected to begin at 11:30am in the House of Lords. It usually lasts around 10 minutes. It will form part of an elaborate ceremony featuring historic traditions dating back to the 16th century.
Charles, fresh from a busy two-day official visit to the Channel Islands, will wear his Imperial State Crown and don royal robes for the ancient occasion full of pomp and ceremony.
His appearance comes despite his treatment for cancer during a challenging year when his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales was also diagnosed with the disease.
It is the monarch’s duty as head of state to formally open each new session of Parliament amid tradition and customs dating back centuries.
The ceremony features historic traditions that are hundreds of years old, including one MP being held hostage and a bomb search in the cellars of Westminster.
The 75-year-old sovereign will be accompanied by the Queen – who is celebrating her 77th birthday and also nursing a sprained ankle – in a carriage procession from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords.
What is the King's Speech expected to include?
The new Government is set to present a "packed" legislative agenda focused on improving living standards by driving economic growth, the first of the Prime Minister’s five “missions for national renewal”.
The bills expected to be announced include promises on housebuilding, workers' rights, tackling illegal migration, and securing clean energy.
The speech is expected to include a democracy bill to introduce automatic voter registration. It could also seek to fulfil Labour's manifesto commitment to reduce the UK voting age to 16.
It may introduce legislation to reform the House of Lords, including a mandatory retirement age of 80, aimed at phasing out hereditary peers.
One thing that won't be in the speech but the government has been heavily criticised for is a commitment to scrap the controversial two-child benefit cap.
The cap, which restricts the ability of some families to claim benefits for more than two children, came into effect in April 2017. Its critics say the policy has exacerbated the number of children in poverty in the UK - which now stands at 4.3 million.
After the speech, MPs will return to the House of Commons, where they will begin debating its contents.
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