AFP
November 6, 2023
King Charles III deputised for his mother Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament in May last year - Copyright POOL/AFP Ben Stansall
King Charles III deputised for his mother Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament in May last year - Copyright POOL/AFP Ben Stansall
Peter HUTCHISON
Charles III gives the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years Tuesday, formally opening the UK parliament with a run-down of his government’s legislative plans as an election looms.
The 74-year-old head of state will outline Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wish list of new laws that are expected to underline differences with the main opposition Labour Party.
The address from a golden throne in the House of Lords comes as the Tories, in power since 2010, trail Labour by double-digits in most opinion polls before an election widely expected next year.
“The King’s Speech represents one of the last chances for Rishi Sunak to set out his stall,” said Richard Carr, an associate professor in public policy and strategy at Anglia Ruskin University.
“Being a low-polling prime minister, one of the few virtues he currently has is he can set the national agenda, control what his supportive newspapers print, and thereby try and set a series of hurdles for the opposition to jump through,” he told AFP.
The ceremonial address, and the traditions that accompany it, is Charles’s first as monarch, although he had a dry run deputising for his mother Queen Elizabeth II in May last year.
It is also Sunak’s first since succeeding Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson as prime minister just two days before the queen’s death and lasted only 49 days in office.
In the speech, Sunak will reinforce clear dividing lines that he is drawing with Keir Starmer’s centre-left Labour party over the environment and energy.
It will propose a law granting new licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea annually that Sunak says will reduce Britain’s reliance on foreign energy and create jobs.
He had already announced a rollback of green energy policies in September, positioning himself as a champion of motorists in a bid to turn around his party’s fortunes.
Labour has said it will not award any new oil and gas exploration licences and has pledged instead to boost investment in green energy
– Rituals –
Sunak’s proposals may make uncomfortable reading for Charles, who has devoted his life to environmental causes.
The speech, which should last around 10 minutes, is also expected to announce tougher sentencing guidelines around life terms and an end to early release for some violent sexual offenders.
Sunak is likely to include a phased smoking ban, which he announced at last month’s Tory conference, and reforms to home ownership laws.
The King’s Speech signifies the start of a new parliamentary year and was last delivered by a male monarch in 1951 — although not in person as King George VI was unwell.
It indicates the types of laws the government hopes to get through parliament in the next 12 months.
Although a Tory defeat at the next election is far from a foregone conclusion, owing to their sizeable parliamentary majority, a loss would mean much of the legislation never seeing the light of day.
“The problem for Sunak is he’s running out of time, the public are both bored and angry at Conservative governance,” added Carr.
Tuesday’s state opening typically involves the sovereign travelling to the Houses of Parliament by carriage from Buckingham Palace.
An MP is ceremonially held “hostage” to ensure the king’s safe return.
Royal bodyguards ritually search the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives — a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up parliament in 1605.
The monarch leads a procession through the House of Lords, parliament’s unelected upper chamber, before giving the speech there to assembled lords and ladies, plus invited members of the elected lower House of Commons.
King's speech: UK government to focus on crime, economy – and rolling back climate measure
Agence France-Presse
November 7, 2023
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the state opening of parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London on November 7, 2023.© Leon Neal, AP
Britain's government set out its plans to tackle crime, boost growth and water down climate change measures on Tuesday, an unashamedly political agenda that could offer clues to how Conservatives plan to campaign ahead of elections next year.
In an agenda written by the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but delivered by King Charles III to lawmakers at parliament's ornate House of Lords, Sunak signalled his intent to create a dividing line with the opposition Labour Party before elections that must be called by the end of 2024.
The speech, which lasted just over 10 minutes, set out the government's modest slate of 21 bills, ranging from changes to the way soccer teams are run to a clampdown on unlicensed pedicabs.
The government also announced plans to continue watering down environmental measures, a trend begun by Sunak when he lifted a moratorium on North Sea oil and gas extraction in July. A planned law will require new oil and gas drilling licenses in the North Sea to be awarded every year. The government argues that will protect jobs, cut Britain’s reliance on foreign fuel and increase energy security while environmentalists and opposition parties say it will just make it harder for the UK to make the switch to renewable energy.
With Labour running way ahead in the opinion polls, the prime minister's team is hoping that his agenda will close the gap by reducing the "burden" of Britain's climate targets on households and by toughening sentences for violent offenders.
There was little new in the King's Speech, more a collection of what Sunak has worked on since becoming prime minister last year on a pledge to bring stability after two fellow Conservative leaders were forced from power in a matter of weeks.
Reading some of the government's climate policies might have jarred on Charles, who has campaigned on environmental issues for more than 50 years. But government officials have repeatedly said ministers were not giving up on the overall targets, just being more "pragmatic" in how they get there.
"My government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations," Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown and royal robes, told a hushed audience of lawmakers in the upper house of parliament.
"By taking these long-term decisions, my government will change this country and build a better future," he added.
It was the first time Charles had made the speech as king – though he stood in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II months before her death last year – in a ceremony marked by pomp and pageantry.
Arriving at parliament from Buckingham Palace in a grand carriage procession, he then led a ceremony, with some of its traditions traced back to the 16th century, that delivers the government's agenda in line with Britain's unusual constitutional division of executive powers.
Election campaign
What Charles read out suggested Britain has already entered campaign season.
The government signalled it would move ahead with the Sentencing Bill that will bring forward tougher jail sentences for the most serious offenders, and repeated its pledge to boost economic growth and reduce inflation.
But, in a possible sign that calls from some Conservative lawmakers to offer voters tax cuts will go unheeded, the King said: "My ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing."
Sunak also confirmed he would phase out tobacco sales to young people in England and press on with attempts to tackle illegal migration.
In an attempt to win over younger voters, the government also said it would press ahead with reforms to the housing market, outlawing no-fault evictions for renters and amending a system described by a minister as "feudal" which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.
But Sunak faces an uphill struggle to win back voters, with Labour holding an around 20-point lead in the polls. His party is mired in allegations of sex scandals, under scrutiny over its actions during the Covid-19 pandemic and is deeply divided over its strategy before the next election.
He is hopeful his agenda can turn things around.
"We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path," he said in his introduction.
"But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs."
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)
Agence France-Presse
November 7, 2023
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the state opening of parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London on November 7, 2023.© Leon Neal, AP
Britain's government set out its plans to tackle crime, boost growth and water down climate change measures on Tuesday, an unashamedly political agenda that could offer clues to how Conservatives plan to campaign ahead of elections next year.
In an agenda written by the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but delivered by King Charles III to lawmakers at parliament's ornate House of Lords, Sunak signalled his intent to create a dividing line with the opposition Labour Party before elections that must be called by the end of 2024.
The speech, which lasted just over 10 minutes, set out the government's modest slate of 21 bills, ranging from changes to the way soccer teams are run to a clampdown on unlicensed pedicabs.
The government also announced plans to continue watering down environmental measures, a trend begun by Sunak when he lifted a moratorium on North Sea oil and gas extraction in July. A planned law will require new oil and gas drilling licenses in the North Sea to be awarded every year. The government argues that will protect jobs, cut Britain’s reliance on foreign fuel and increase energy security while environmentalists and opposition parties say it will just make it harder for the UK to make the switch to renewable energy.
With Labour running way ahead in the opinion polls, the prime minister's team is hoping that his agenda will close the gap by reducing the "burden" of Britain's climate targets on households and by toughening sentences for violent offenders.
There was little new in the King's Speech, more a collection of what Sunak has worked on since becoming prime minister last year on a pledge to bring stability after two fellow Conservative leaders were forced from power in a matter of weeks.
Reading some of the government's climate policies might have jarred on Charles, who has campaigned on environmental issues for more than 50 years. But government officials have repeatedly said ministers were not giving up on the overall targets, just being more "pragmatic" in how they get there.
"My government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations," Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown and royal robes, told a hushed audience of lawmakers in the upper house of parliament.
"By taking these long-term decisions, my government will change this country and build a better future," he added.
It was the first time Charles had made the speech as king – though he stood in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II months before her death last year – in a ceremony marked by pomp and pageantry.
Arriving at parliament from Buckingham Palace in a grand carriage procession, he then led a ceremony, with some of its traditions traced back to the 16th century, that delivers the government's agenda in line with Britain's unusual constitutional division of executive powers.
Election campaign
What Charles read out suggested Britain has already entered campaign season.
The government signalled it would move ahead with the Sentencing Bill that will bring forward tougher jail sentences for the most serious offenders, and repeated its pledge to boost economic growth and reduce inflation.
But, in a possible sign that calls from some Conservative lawmakers to offer voters tax cuts will go unheeded, the King said: "My ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing."
Sunak also confirmed he would phase out tobacco sales to young people in England and press on with attempts to tackle illegal migration.
In an attempt to win over younger voters, the government also said it would press ahead with reforms to the housing market, outlawing no-fault evictions for renters and amending a system described by a minister as "feudal" which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.
But Sunak faces an uphill struggle to win back voters, with Labour holding an around 20-point lead in the polls. His party is mired in allegations of sex scandals, under scrutiny over its actions during the Covid-19 pandemic and is deeply divided over its strategy before the next election.
He is hopeful his agenda can turn things around.
"We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path," he said in his introduction.
"But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs."
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)
Britain bans 'laughing gas' to curb anti-social behaviour
2023/11/08
LONDON (Reuters) - A ban on the recreational use and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as 'laughing gas', comes into force in Britain on Wednesday, with people caught producing, supplying or selling the drug facing long prison sentences.
The substance, which causes a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality, has grown in popularity, particularly among young people but the government said it fuelled nuisance behaviour and posed a health hazard.
"For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities. We will not accept it," Britain's policing minister Chris Philp said in a statement.
Under the new ban, people who repeatedly misused laughing gas could face fines or up to two years in prison, with a maximum jail punishment for dealing the drug doubled to 14 years.
According to health ministry figures, nitrous oxide is the third most common drug used by 16 to 24-year-olds, and heavy use can result in anaemia, and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.
In September, interior minister Suella Braverman said people were "fed up" with the use of drugs in public spaces, with discarded gas canisters being littered across Britain's streets.
The ban exempts its legitimate use including for healthcare, dentistry, and in other industries. Licences will not be required, but users will need to demonstrate they are "lawfully in possession" of the drug and not intending to inhale it, the government said.
Under the ban, nitrous oxide will be prescribed as a "Class C" drug and classified in "the least harmful" category of drugs under Britain's laws alongside anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and growth hormones.
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Michael Holden)
© Reuters
Factbox-The laws British PM Sunak wants to pass before the next election
2023/11/07
LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles set out the British government's plans for legislation over the coming months on Tuesday with a highly political package of measures, including the promise of tougher sentences for serious criminals, before a national election expected next year.
The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament.
This is likely to be the last one before the election, which must be held by January 2025, and many policies were aimed at appealing to voters.
Below are some of the main proposed new laws:
LAW AND ORDER
The government plans to introduce five pieces of legislation intended to toughen sentences and deter crime in a sign that the governing Conservatives hope to make this a key election issue.
The Sentencing Bill will mean murderers who carry out sexually motivated or sadistic attacks will automatically face life in jail without the prospect of parole.
The Criminal Justice Bill will also mean that criminals will be made to appear in the court when they are sentenced so they can hear statements from victims.
This comes after a nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and a man who shot a nine-year-old girl this year refused to attend their sentencing hearings.
The legislation will also give the police powers to enter a property without a warrant to seize goods if they have reasonable proof that a stolen item was at an address.
CIGARETTES AND VAPES
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on Sunak's promise made last month to phase out all tobacco sales in England.
Under the legislation, anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, will never be allowed to legally buy cigarettes.
The government said it was also looking to bring in rules regulating the flavours and descriptions of vapes that critics say are targeted at children.
OIL DRILLING
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will set up annual licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, in a move the government said would create certainty for the industry during a transition to greener energy.
The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in opinion polls, has said it would stop issuing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, though it will respect any that are granted before an election.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
The government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which will give ministers new powers to tackle "drip pricing" where companies advertise a low price online before adding extra fees.
Consumers will also be given powers to make it easier to get out of subscription contracts, which the government said cost people around 1.6 billion pounds ($1.97 billion) a year.
HOUSING
The government will amend the system, described by the housing minister as "feudal", which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.
The Leasehold and Freehold Bill means all new houses in England and Wales will be exempt from having to pay these extra costs.
The Renters' Reform Bill will push ahead with a plan to end no-fault evictions in England, four years after the legislation was first promised.
SOCCER REGULATOR
The government plans to set up an independent football regulator, who will be responsible for scrutinising club owners and their financial resources.
The new legislation will require owners to ensure fans are consulted on changes to club's badges, names and shirt colours.
The regulator will have the power to stop clubs joining breakaway leagues, after six English clubs attempted in 2021 to join a new European Super League.
TRADE
Britain will bring forward a bill to allow it to meet its obligations as it accedes to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Britain in March struck a deal to join the 11-country trans-Pacific trade pact, which includes Australia and Japan, and formally signed the treaty in July.
The bill gives CPTPP parties greater access to the government's procurement market, enhances regulatory co-operation and expands copyright protections, as has been agreed under the terms of Britain's accession to the agreement.
($1 = 0.8130 pounds)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper, Alex Richardson and Barbara Lewis)
© Reuters
2023/11/08
LONDON (Reuters) - A ban on the recreational use and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as 'laughing gas', comes into force in Britain on Wednesday, with people caught producing, supplying or selling the drug facing long prison sentences.
The substance, which causes a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality, has grown in popularity, particularly among young people but the government said it fuelled nuisance behaviour and posed a health hazard.
"For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities. We will not accept it," Britain's policing minister Chris Philp said in a statement.
Under the new ban, people who repeatedly misused laughing gas could face fines or up to two years in prison, with a maximum jail punishment for dealing the drug doubled to 14 years.
According to health ministry figures, nitrous oxide is the third most common drug used by 16 to 24-year-olds, and heavy use can result in anaemia, and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.
In September, interior minister Suella Braverman said people were "fed up" with the use of drugs in public spaces, with discarded gas canisters being littered across Britain's streets.
The ban exempts its legitimate use including for healthcare, dentistry, and in other industries. Licences will not be required, but users will need to demonstrate they are "lawfully in possession" of the drug and not intending to inhale it, the government said.
Under the ban, nitrous oxide will be prescribed as a "Class C" drug and classified in "the least harmful" category of drugs under Britain's laws alongside anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and growth hormones.
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Michael Holden)
© Reuters
Factbox-The laws British PM Sunak wants to pass before the next election
2023/11/07
LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles set out the British government's plans for legislation over the coming months on Tuesday with a highly political package of measures, including the promise of tougher sentences for serious criminals, before a national election expected next year.
The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament.
This is likely to be the last one before the election, which must be held by January 2025, and many policies were aimed at appealing to voters.
Below are some of the main proposed new laws:
LAW AND ORDER
The government plans to introduce five pieces of legislation intended to toughen sentences and deter crime in a sign that the governing Conservatives hope to make this a key election issue.
The Sentencing Bill will mean murderers who carry out sexually motivated or sadistic attacks will automatically face life in jail without the prospect of parole.
The Criminal Justice Bill will also mean that criminals will be made to appear in the court when they are sentenced so they can hear statements from victims.
This comes after a nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and a man who shot a nine-year-old girl this year refused to attend their sentencing hearings.
The legislation will also give the police powers to enter a property without a warrant to seize goods if they have reasonable proof that a stolen item was at an address.
CIGARETTES AND VAPES
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on Sunak's promise made last month to phase out all tobacco sales in England.
Under the legislation, anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, will never be allowed to legally buy cigarettes.
The government said it was also looking to bring in rules regulating the flavours and descriptions of vapes that critics say are targeted at children.
OIL DRILLING
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will set up annual licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, in a move the government said would create certainty for the industry during a transition to greener energy.
The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in opinion polls, has said it would stop issuing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, though it will respect any that are granted before an election.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
The government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which will give ministers new powers to tackle "drip pricing" where companies advertise a low price online before adding extra fees.
Consumers will also be given powers to make it easier to get out of subscription contracts, which the government said cost people around 1.6 billion pounds ($1.97 billion) a year.
HOUSING
The government will amend the system, described by the housing minister as "feudal", which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.
The Leasehold and Freehold Bill means all new houses in England and Wales will be exempt from having to pay these extra costs.
The Renters' Reform Bill will push ahead with a plan to end no-fault evictions in England, four years after the legislation was first promised.
SOCCER REGULATOR
The government plans to set up an independent football regulator, who will be responsible for scrutinising club owners and their financial resources.
The new legislation will require owners to ensure fans are consulted on changes to club's badges, names and shirt colours.
The regulator will have the power to stop clubs joining breakaway leagues, after six English clubs attempted in 2021 to join a new European Super League.
TRADE
Britain will bring forward a bill to allow it to meet its obligations as it accedes to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Britain in March struck a deal to join the 11-country trans-Pacific trade pact, which includes Australia and Japan, and formally signed the treaty in July.
The bill gives CPTPP parties greater access to the government's procurement market, enhances regulatory co-operation and expands copyright protections, as has been agreed under the terms of Britain's accession to the agreement.
($1 = 0.8130 pounds)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper, Alex Richardson and Barbara Lewis)
© Reuters
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