On Tuesday, November 7, Charles III delivered his first King's Speech since his accession to the throne in September 2022. This ceremony, full of pomp, gold and ermine robes, is a high point of British parliamentary life. In a speech in the House of Lords, the king inaugurates a new season at Westminster, presenting the government's new legislative agenda, of which he has not written a single line but which he is expected to take on as head of state.
For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, this year's King's Speech was the last political milestone before the 2024 general elections. He wants to "make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations," hoping to reduce the 15-20 point gap in the polls that still separates his Conservative Party from Labour. With his reactionary bills, which contradict the recommendations of international bodies on climate change and put emphasis on law and order, Sunak is seeking to appeal to the Tories' traditional electoral base.
The speech must have been hard to read for Charles III, a staunch environmentalist, but the 74-year-old sovereign didn't let it show, in keeping with royal neutrality. Foremost among the 21 bills listed in the speech was the one systematizing the granting of North Sea oil and gas licenses to private companies, in the name of British "energy security." Previously granted every two or three years, these licenses are now to be granted annually. Criticized by climate campaigners, they seem incompatible with the country's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The International Energy Agency has been recommending an end to all new oil and gas field development since 2021.
The monarch, who is appreciated for his charitable works, was at least spared from having to say anything about Suella Braverman's latest idea, which was not mentioned in the speech. The radical home secretary has called on banning the use of tents by homeless people and punishing organizations that distributed them. Her plan, leaked in the Financial Times and which she confirmed herself, has outraged even Conservatives. On Saturday, Braverman went so far as describing the use of tents by homeless people as a "lifestyle choice," in a post on X. Many suspect the minister of positioning herself to replace Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party if he loses the next election. "I think she's goading Number 10 into getting rid of her because she wants to launch her leadership campaign," said Colin Bloom, former government adviser, speaking to the BBC.
You have 55% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.