How to
watch the king’s speech like a pro
King
Charles III will on Wednesday deliver a speech setting out Keir Starmer’s
legislative agenda. Here’s what to look out for.
May 12,
2026 11:30 pm CET
By Joseph
Bambridge
https://www.politico.eu/article/how-to-watch-the-uk-king-charles-speech-like-a-pro/
LONDON —
The opening of a new U.K. parliamentary session is steeped in decades of
pageantry and tradition. But few have taken place in these circumstances.
On
Wednesday morning, King Charles III will enter parliament to deliver a speech
setting out Keir Starmer’s legislative agenda for the second parliamentary
session of his premiership.
Over 35
bills will be listed, according to the government. But after last week’s
disastrous local and devolved elections for Starmer’s Labour Party, the
question on Westminster’s mind is how much of it will actually be delivered —
and by whom.
“The
British people expect the Government to get on with the job of changing our
country for the better,” a defiant Starmer said on Tuesday.
He said
the laws will “deliver on the promise of change for the British people” that
ushered Labour into power less than two years ago — and cautioned colleagues
weighing up a challenge to his leadership that they face a choice over whether
to “press ahead with a plan to build a stronger, fairer country or turn back to
the chaos and instability of the past.”
The
government said the package of bills will focus on “strengthening the U.K.’s
foundations through measures to bolster economic, energy, national security” in
a world that is “more volatile and dangerous than at any point in recent
history.”
The
speech is expected to include a number of bills designed to tackle the cost of
living, boost economic growth, modernize the British state and restore ties
with the European Union.
Legislation
will be introduced to allow the government to pursue “dynamic alignment” with
EU laws as part of the PM’s commitment to improve trade and investment ties
with the bloc.
An
“Energy Independence Bill” will also be introduced. The government said the
bill will allow it to “tackle the affordability crisis and speed up the
delivery of clean energy technologies and vital grid infrastructure.”
It will
also introduce “reforms to regulation to drive growth and innovation, and
changes to give businesses the confidence to invest and grow,” it said.
That’s
expected to include a bill to reduce red tape in the financial services sector,
including by folding the payments regulator into the City watchdog, and a
separate bill to set regulators firmer growth expectations and allow ministers
to create sandboxes for novel AI applications.
Other
bills aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy include legislation to
formally create the National Wealth Fund, reform procurement and nationalize
British Steel.
“Landmark
public service reforms in the NHS, police and special education needs will also
strengthen our country,” the government said.
Following
a series of consultations and white papers over the last year, the government
will introduce legislation to bring forward a controversial new digital
identity system, overhaul the U.K.’s police forces and modernize the NHS
through better use of data sharing.
No. 10
said its agenda will “meet the evolving threats facing the U.K. head on,
strengthening our defences and keeping pace with modern technologies from
cyber-attacks to new powers to counter state threats so we can better disrupt
the sharing of extreme content online.”
It will
include legislation to “deliver a firm but fair immigration system that
restores control and earns public trust.”
Seven
bills have been carried over from the previous parliamentary session after
running out of time. They include reforms to the jury system, updates to the
U.K.’s cybersecurity regime, and the government’s electoral reform law, which
will extend the vote to over-16s.
Charles
will read out the speech from a throne in the House of Lords, and will be
followed by several days of debate in both houses of parliament.
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