Charles III presents first Labor program in 15 years

Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth Pool via Agence France-Presse Charles III set out the priorities of Keir Starmer's new Labor government in his traditional King's Speech on Wednesday.

Caroline Taix – Agence France-Presse and Marie Heuclin – Agence France-Presse in London

Posted at 8:38 a.m.

• Europe

Economy, immigration, the United Kingdom's relations with Europe, but also transport and housing: Charles III set out the priorities of the new Labor government on Wednesday in his traditional King's Speech, a solemn ceremony at the reopening of Parliament.

The throne speech or king's speech is delivered by the sovereign, but written by the government. This is an opportunity for the new ruling party to present its priorities to Westminster. It was the first for a Labor government in 15 years, following the July 4 general election which resulted in Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer arriving in Downing Street after 14 years of Conservative rule.

Wearing the ceremonial imperial crown and wearing a long robe, Charles III, arriving at parliament in a golden carriage from Buckingham Palace, read the text in a monotone, a way of marking the political neutrality of the sovereign.

The government, which had built its campaign on a promise of budgetary “seriousness”, first highlighted “economic stability”. It will have its future budgets “independently” evaluated by the public budget forecasting body, the OBR, to ensure better control of public spending.

À In the fall of 2022, Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss caused panic in the financial markets with unfunded tax cuts. This remains a trauma in the country.

The new government also wants to “redefine” relations between the United Kingdom and its “European partners”, almost eight years old after the Brexit vote. It will “work to improve trade and investment relations with the European Union.”

To combat illegal immigration, the government will create a new security force with “anti-terrorism powers”. It will aim to “strengthen” the fight against people smugglers.

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The day after coming to power, Keir Starmer confirmed that he was abandoning the Conservatives’ plan to deport illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda.

Photo: Stefan Rousseau Pool via Agence France-Presse The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, before the King’s speech.

Symbolic hostage

Keir Starmer also wants to remove hereditary members in the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament.

On Northern Ireland, the new government has committed to repeal a controversial law that was supposed to end investigations, civil cases and criminal prosecutions for crimes linked to the Troubles and grant immunity to veterans on all sides.

The promises followed one another in this long list also including measures to accelerate the construction of housing and to renationalize rail transport companies.

The government also takes up promises from the Conservatives, in particular the law aimed at banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2009.

This throne speech was the first written by a Labor executive since Gordon Brown's government in 2009, before the Conservatives came to power a few months later.

The government had explained that this speech would include more than 35 bills.

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As Charles III read the speech, anti-monarchy protesters chanted “Not my king” in front of Parliament.

Police said they had arrested around ten members of the activist group Youth Demand on suspicion of wanting to cause public nuisance.

Keir Starmer, 61, said he was just after coming to power “impatient to implement the change” promised to the British.

With this program, Labor wants to “show that they can become again what they were they see as the natural party of government,” Tony McNulty, a former Labor minister and professor of British politics at Queen Mary University of London, told AFP.

This is the second King's Speech given by Charles III since his accession to the throne in September 2022. In May of that year, as Prince of Wales, he had also replaced his mother Elizabeth II, whose health was declining.

Charles III was seated on the throne of the House of Lords, with his wife Camilla on his left.

Shortly before his arrival at Westminster, royal guards had proceeded to the inspection of the cellars of Parliament for explosives, a legacy of the unsuccessful attempt by Catholics to blow up the building in 1605.

An MP was held symbolically hostage at Buckingham until the “safe return of the king” to his residence.