King’s Speech Latest: Starmer’s priorities revealed by King

Today the ceremonial opening of Parliament took place and the Royal Speech was delivered.

These may seem like historical traditions that have no significant impact on the day-to-day exercise of power, but in fact they do.

But first, let’s review today’s schedule.

Times

The first time it was recorded was 11.20 am – that is the time at which the King is due to arrive at Parliament.

He will then proceed to the House of Lords and is expected to take the throne at 11.30am.

The King then calls the House of Commons together. At that moment, someone known as Black Rod knocks on the door of the House of Commons.

This is rubbed in their faces to demonstrate the sovereignty of the House of Commons… and then MPs will still go to the House of Lords to hear the monarch speak.

The king will then leave the country and parliament will begin debating the content of the announcement. The process will last until Thursday next week.

Why is speech important?

According to the Institute of Government, “this is a test of the government’s ability to gain the confidence of the House of Commons.”

This is because debates and votes in the House of Commons can expose ugly divisions within the ruling party.

Looking ahead, the bill’s mention in the King’s Speech means it will have particular significance in the context of votes.

It’s worth noting, however, that the mere mention of a bill doesn’t mean it will be introduced immediately. It could be months – or even never – before the bill is debated and voted on.

Defeat of the aforementioned bill will most likely be treated as a motion of confidence and could lead to the fall of the government.

While it is a common convention that the House of Lords will not oppose manifesto commitments, it would also be a bold move for the Upper House to repeatedly vote against measures mentioned in the speech.