LONDON – The aging king arrives in a golden carriage and wears a crown that weighs more than a bag of sugar. The new prime minister wore a casual suit with a burgundy tie as King Charles III laid out everything Britain's first Labor government in 14 years wanted to do.
During the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, the rituals and dramas of constitutional monarchy were on full display, designed to project stability and provide legitimacy during transitions of power.
When power passed from one Conservative Party government to another through a succession of five Conservative Prime Ministers, elaborate costumes and royal trumpeters may have seemed especially elevated. But Wednesday actually marked a dramatic moment here.
As a result of the July 4 landslide election, key players reversed roles. Household names are written out of script. New storylines emerge.
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Walking together in Westminster on Wednesday, new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and defeated Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chatted in friendly, animated fashion, like athletes after a tough match. Sunak remains leader of the Conservative Party – now relegated to opposition – until his replacement is elected.
Starmer and his cabinet selections officially began on 5 July. Already, Starmer represented Britain at NATO, shook hands with President Biden in the Oval Office and rejected some of Sunak's proposals, such as deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. But on Wednesday the new government set out its priorities, defining the « transformation » slogan at the heart of Labour's successful election campaign.
As per tradition, in a speech read by the king, the government outlined ambitious legislative goals, along with a raft of 40 bills.
Anand Menon, professor of politics at King's College London, said that « even the raw number of bills » speaks to the « level of ambition » of this new government. Sunak's government last time mentioned 21 bills.
Menon said the « big » legislative agenda represented confidence in an interventionist government. It is a recognition, “Government has a role. There will always be arguments about how far it can and should go.
Some of the new agenda reflects traditional Labor views about government. The King's Speech highlighted plans to nationalize the rail service and create a publicly owned clean-energy company, based in Scotland.
But Starmer's relaunched Labor Party also emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships and « wealth creation for all communities ». It wants to boost the economy by encouraging the construction of houses and infrastructure. It wants to prevent local governments from blocking new building.
« A fundamental task will be to secure economic growth, » King read.
Britain is the world's sixth largest economy, but people here are feeling the wage pinch behind everyday living costs. Growing the economy is essential to fund everything Labor wants to do without raising taxes on a massive scale.
Starmer and his ministers are keen to blame the state of the country's coffers on 14 years of Conservative rule.
« National renewal is not a quick fix, » the prime minister said during a parliamentary debate after the speech. « 14 years of rot will take time to fix. »
The first lines of the King's speech began: “My government will rule in the service of the country. My government's legislative program is based on the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all.
That may resonate with this king, who has built his own career around serving the people.
Charles read the text in an emotionless voice. By tradition, it is not high-flown oration, and the monarch is expected to be impartial. But Charles is also known as a lifelong climate advocate – which created some embarrassment during the last King's Speech, when he had to read the Sunak government's plans for a new system of issuing oil and gas licences.
This time, Charles said, « My government recognizes the urgency of the global climate challenge. »
Labor argues Economic growth and the green energy transition need not be in tension. As part of its « Green Prosperity Plan, » it has pledged to help create 650,000 jobs by 2030 and work with the private sector to double offshore wind, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind.
Climate activists applauded Wednesday's new tone. « This King's speech is more global than last year: A significant step change in political leadership on climate ». Published by Greenpeace On social media. But environmentalists criticized Labor for not being bold enough. ceremony Abandoned An earlier pledge to spend 28 billion pounds ($36 billion) a year on environmental projects if he won the election.
Sunak led the opposition's response in Parliament. He joked how quickly people in British politics « have a bright future behind you and you wonder if you can be an elder statesman at 44 ».
Sunak objected to the new government's cancellation of its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, saying that without a deterrent, people would continue to try to illegally cross the English Channel in small boats. But the Rwanda project faced repeated legal hurdles, and Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, was never going to push through. Instead, the King's speech outlined a new « border protection order » and enhanced powers to treat people smugglers like terrorists.
Sunak stressed that Labor had inherited an economy on an upward trajectory and that with all the books open, it would be disingenuous for new ministers to suggest public finances are worse than anyone realises.
Although Charles was ambassador on Wednesday, it was one of the highest visibility days for the monarch since she revealed in February that she was starting treatment for cancer. (What types of cancer and what types of treatments are not disclosed.)
The rituals of the opening ceremony of Parliament involve many oddities. Before the king's arrival, royal bodyguards searched the cellars for explosives. This is Guy Fawkes's « Gunpowder Plot » of 1605, a botched attempt by English Catholics to overthrow the Protestant King James I and Parliament.
According to tradition, Black wireA senior official in the House of Lords slammed the door of the House of Commons in her face – representing the independence of the House of Commons from the monarch.
Another lawmaker was held as a « hostage » in Buckingham Palace, guaranteeing the King's safe return.
