King’s Speech begins countdown to next UK general election

The FT says King Charles III started the countdown to the next UK election on Tuesday, setting out 21 pieces of legislation that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to define his priorities and sharpen dividing lines with Labour.

But many Tory MPs gave the package of bills in the King’s Speech a lukewarm reception, while Downing Street was forced to put the brakes on controversial plans to crack down on rough sleeping.

The King’s Speech, the first delivered by a male monarch in more than 70 years, was laden with political intent as Sunak drafted a final legislative package to be delivered before an election expected by autumn 2024.

Measures to encourage North Sea oil drilling, tougher sentencing for serious criminals and bills designed to show support for Israel were all meant to signal Sunak’s priorities.

The main opposition Labour party said the government’s legislative package, formally set out by King Charles in the gilded splendour of the House of Lords, was “a pretty pathetic programme of tinkering”.

https://www.ft.com/content/9c743fb7-4a6d-4442-8f1e-6c2cfa5b6b34