LONDON (AP) 鈥� on Wednesday will deliver the government鈥檚 legislative program for the coming year to lawmakers with all the pomp and historic trappings that accompany the ceremonial opening of Britain’s Parliament.
The question is whether will be around to implement it and, even if he survives the latest government crisis, whether he will have the authority to push his proposals through Parliament.
The King鈥檚 speech will be Starmer鈥檚 second attempt to save his premiership after his Labour Party suffered huge losses in local and regional elections last week. That weakened his already tenuous grip on power and fueled calls for him to step down from members of his own party who believe Starmer has been too timid in attacking the rising cost of living, wealth inequality and the country鈥檚 creaking public services.
The pressure on Starmer has only increased since a Monday speech to party supporters, promoted as the first leg of his fight back. But it was criticized as 鈥渢one deaf鈥� and lacking the bold policies needed to tackle Britain鈥檚 problems. Former Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday, saying the government needed to 鈥渉ave a row, push back, make arguments, bring people along.鈥�
Historic power collides with modern reality
The King鈥檚 Speech will be a moment when the historic power and grandeur of Britain will collide with the reality of the modern , a mid-sized country with an underfunded military, rising debt and waning international influence. It’s a country struggling to control immigration and pay for public services such as health care and education.
The speech is just one element of the state opening of Parliament, a traditional set piece of the political calendar that uses carefully choreographed pageantry to showcase Britain鈥檚 evolution from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy where real power is vested in the elected House of Commons.
This year鈥檚 edition will be closely watched because of Starmer鈥檚 precarious position.
The speech is likely to take on cost of living crisis
The speech is expected to include proposals to address the cost of living crisis, create a national wealth fund to stimulate private investment in public infrastructure and tighten rules for asylum seekers. It may also include the government鈥檚 controversial proposal to abolish jury trials for some cases in England and , lower the voting age to 16 and introduce a 鈥渄uty of candor鈥� for public officials, requiring them to tell the truth and cooperate with investigations.
The problem for Starmer is that many of the proposals expected to appear in the speech have been announced previously. That raises the question of whether he will be able to win over his doubters.
Even so, the speech is the focal point of a day of ceremony and tradition that has been followed since 1852, with elements of the program dating to the 16th century.
King Charles III visits the Commons
The monarch traditionally travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament, a distance of less than a mile, in a horse-drawn carriage. He then dons the Imperial State Crown and robe of state before leading a procession into the chamber of the unelected House of Lords.
A Lords official called Black Rod, named for the ebony rod he or she carries, then goes to the House of Commons to summon the chamber鈥檚 members to a joint sitting of Parliament. The doors to the Commons chamber are slammed in Black Rod鈥檚 face to symbolize the chamber鈥檚 independence from the monarchy, and they aren鈥檛 opened until Black Rod strikes the doors three times.
Once members of the Commons have crowded into the Lords鈥� chamber, the king delivers a speech written by the government and laying out its legislative program for the coming session of Parliament.
After the speech is read and the king leaves, the two houses of Parliament begin several days of debate on its contents.
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