Starmer clings on as leadership talk overshadows king’s speech

Despite its name, the King’s Speech is not written by the monarch but by the government, which uses it to detail the laws it proposes over the next 12 months.

In the introductory notes, Starmer vowed to move “with greater urgency” to make Britain “stronger and fairer”.

His proposals, many of which have already been announced, include deepening Britain’s relationship with the European Union by giving ministers the power to align the UK with some laws without giving MPs a vote.

BLACK ROD

Other plans include fully nationalising British steel, reforming the asylum system, lowering the voting age to 16 and cracking down on ticket touts.

But questions remain over whether Starmer will even be around to implement them.

“It is clear his authority has gone and that he will not be able to deliver what little there is in this King’s Speech,” opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told parliament.

“This is a government less than two years in office which has already run out of ideas and run out of road.”

Under Labour party rules, Streeting will need the support of 81 Labour MPs, 20 per cent of the party in parliament, to trigger a contest. Starmer has vowed to fight any challenge.

Rayner is still settling an unpaid tax issue, while Burnham is unable to stand currently as he is not an MP. His supporters want Starmer to lay out a timetable for his departure that allows Burnham to return to parliament and stand.

The day’s proceedings started when royal bodyguards ritually searched the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives – a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up parliament in the 1605 Gunpowder plot.

Charles then travelled to parliament by carriage from Buckingham Palace, escorted by mounted cavalry.

As is tradition, one MP was ceremonially held “hostage” in the palace to ensure the sovereign’s safe return.

A parliamentary official known as Black Rod had the door of the lower House of Commons slammed in their face, a ritual that symbolises parliament’s independence from the monarchy.

MPs then followed Black Rod to the upper chamber, where Charles gave the speech to assembled lords and ladies in red and ermine robes, plus invited members of the elected Commons.