King Charles Warns of UK’s ‘Significant Long-Term Challenges’ in First Official Speech
Photo Courtesy: GOV.UK
In his first official speech as monarch, King Charles spoke of the ‘significant long-term challenges’ facing the UK, including Covid, inflation, and the war in Ukraine.
As part of the State of Parliament – the event which marks a new session of Parliament – King Charles spoke of proposed bills, laws, and other policy announcements. The speech, which is written by the government, must be delivered neutrally regardless of the monarch’s personal politics.
This year’s speech featured 21 bills, either new or previously discussed, that the government hopes to pass in the coming Parliamentary session. After opening with a brief tribute to his ‘beloved mother’ the late Elizabeth II, the King laid out the key aims of Sunak’s Tory party, which included ‘increasing economic growth’, ‘bring[ing] down inflation’, and ‘keeping people safe’.
One of the most contentious bills was the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which will ‘support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields’ in the North Sea, in order to ‘strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security’.
The King has long been outspoken about climate change; as early as 1970, he warned of the dangers of air pollution and plastic waste. It is likely this bill will differ from his personal views.
Other bills include TfL regulation of pedicabs in Central London, longer sentences for serious criminals, ‘legal frameworks’ to allow for self-driving cars, and the restriction of cigarettes indefinitely for children currently under 14 as part of the ‘smoke-free generation’ proposal.
The King’s Speech has come at a precarious time for the Tory government, with Labour currently up in the polls. This is leading up to the next general election, which must take place by the end of January 2025, and is predicted for autumn 2024.
Rishi Sunak followed with a speech which aimed to set out his ‘long-term’ goals for Britain ahead of the election. It was followed by a counter from Keir Starmer, who criticised Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s recent comments on homelessness, as well as Sunak’s proposed policies as a whole, calling the party ‘devoid of leadership’.