Author: News Desk

King’s Speech: Rishi Sunak missed his chance for a reset Sky News says Rishi Sunak is a prime minister who likes to talk about long-term decision-making and being a leader prepared to take “tough choices” to change the UK. On Tuesday, we heard it all again in the opening sentences of the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years: “My government’s priority is to make difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.” But the truth is there is no such thing as the long-term for a prime minister facing an election, perhaps just a…

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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…

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Rishi Sunak’s first King’s Speech labelled a ‘damp squib’ by Tory MPs The Independent says Rishi Sunak used his first – and possibly only – King’s Speech to outline plans for tougher jail sentences and to ease the environmental “burden” on households, as part of a last-ditch effort to reverse his party’s fortunes. The speech confirmed plans to see murderers spend life behind bars and for criminals to attend court for sentencing, while also outlining proposals to extend the use of controversial lie detectors by probation officers, a promised smoking ban and a potential new tax on vapes. But there…

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If the king sounds bored by the king’s speech, what hope have the rest of us? The Guardian says The lords and ladies started filing into the upper chamber two hours before proceedings were due to start. A riot of scarlet and ermine. No dressing-up box left unturned. Old costume tiaras from Claire’s Accessories dusted down. Apart from one woman sitting near the throne who appeared to have a vegetable garden growing out of her head. They do things differently in the upper chamber. Most of all there was the sense of entitlement. There wasn’t a man or woman in…

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