The King's Speech: What people in Wales will be looking out for

When the King delivers his speech to both Houses of Parliament today (Tuesday) it will be a speech that is even more closely pored over than usual.

It’ll be historic: King Charles’ first speech as Monarch, although he has previously delivered it on behalf of his late mother.

Here in Wales, there will be particular concern to know which of the planned new laws will affect people living and working here and which won’t, because they only affect areas of responsibility which are devolved to the Welsh Government.

It’s already clear that the programme of legislation outlined in the speech will be even more “political” than usual. That’s inevitable because it will almost certainly be the last such occasion before the next UK General Election is held.

As a result, many of the new laws will be as much about trying to create political dividing lines with Labour as they will be about changing the way things are done and they’ll be aimed at Mark Drakeford and Welsh Labour as well as Keir Starmer and UK Labour.

For instance, it’s expected that there will be a Bill aimed at making it more difficult for local councils in England to expand the number of 20mph zones in any given area. That won’t affect the Welsh Government’s policy of making 20mph the default speed limit in all-built up areas because transport is devolved.

What it will do is to enable Conservatives here in Wales as well as elsewhere to say to those who are opposed to increasing the number of 20mph roads - including the almost half a million people who have signed the Senedd petition against the policy - that they agree with them.

Other measures due to be set out in the speech, such as increasing the number of North Sea oil and gas licences are designed to fit with the Prime Minister’s stated aim of dealing with climate change in a way that’s less painful to people, particularly motorists. 

Conservatives have already started accusing Labour - and Welsh Labour in particular - of waging a “war on motorists.” You can expect to hear that much more often over the course of the next year. 

There’s also expected to be a Bill introducing something that Rishi Sunak announced in his recent conference speech: a phased ban on smoking. It would see a gradual increase in the minimum age for buying tobacco products, meaning that young people who are now aged 14 would never legally be able to buy them. 

The Welsh Government has said that it welcomes that move and will work with the UK Government on it. That may be made clear in any bill announced on Tuesday. 

A Crime and Sentencing Bill is said to be another new law unveiled in the King’s Speech and, because crime is not devolved, any changes would directly affect us here in Wales. 

One of the main changes it would introduce is one that would force criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, something that attracted a lot of attention when the nurse Lucy Letby refused to appear to hear the judge’s verdict against her. 

There’ll also be an expansion of “whole-life orders” for certain types of murder and mandatory jail terms for offences including shoplifting. 

Although it’s usually referred to simply as “the King’s Speech,” Tuesday’s event is much more than that. 

It’s actually the State Opening of Parliament which marks the formal start of the parliamentary year. But just to confuse you, a parliamentary year could last more or less than twelve months! 

The last State Opening took place on 10 May 2022 and on that occasion the then Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge led the proceedings acting as Counsellor of State for the late Queen. 

The King’s Speech itself is mostly not written by the King - it’s provided to him by the Prime Minister. It’s essentially a list of legislation, or Bills, which the UK Government intends to turn into law during the forthcoming parliamentary session. 

Political parties have already begun setting out what they want to see in the speech even if it’s unlikely that King Charles will change it at this stage. 

Plaid Cymru has called for bills to ensure that Wales gets funding from big infrastructure projects in England, such as HS2, and to transfer power over the justice system to Wales. 

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...