Sir Keir Starmer promised a package of measures to set a “new direction for Britain” as he battled to save his premiership.
The Prime Minister said the legislation in the King’s Speech would make the country “stronger and fairer” and help deliver the “change we promised” in Labour’s 2024 general election landslide.
In his speech in the House of Lords, the King said the Government would “defend the British values of decency, tolerance and respect for difference under our common flag”.
Charles said the Government would “harness the potential of the pride felt across the country for its communities” and “take urgent action to tackle antisemitism”.
In his introduction to the package of legislation set out by the King in the traditional State Opening of Parliament ceremony, Sir Keir said the country was “at a pivotal moment” as it dealt with the fallout from wars in Iran and Ukraine.
But he said: “The fundamentals of our economy remain sound and this will help us emerge from the Iran conflict stronger and fairer.”
The war in the Middle East required “greater urgency” in the reforms the Government has promised, Sir Keir said.
“We will strengthen our economic security, energy security, our defence and national security,” the Prime Minister said.
“We will unblock the barriers to growth and prepare our country for a world where external shocks like this are ever more frequent.
“And we will fight for every child to have the chance to go as far as their talent and effort will take them.”
The Prime Minister wants to forge closer ties with the European Union, with a major summit planned this summer and progress expected on a youth experience scheme for under-30s.
Sir Keir said he would be “setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit” and “putting Britain at the heart of Europe”.
Measures in the King’s Speech include:
– A new law to strip disgraced peers like Lord Peter Mandelson of their titles.
– Measures which could lead to the banning of state-linked groups like Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
– Confirmation of Labour plans to lower the voting age to 16.
– A package of laws to ease the burden of regulation and make it faster to build new energy infrastructure.
– Legislation for the new digital ID scheme.
The Government has been under pressure to ban the IRGC but has claimed existing legislation does not allow this.
The new Tackling State Threats Bill is intended to close this loophole, giving powers similar to those used to proscribe terrorist organisations.
Sir Keir said: “We will take on extremism where it appears, including where it is sponsored by foreign powers that are hostile to the UK, such as Iran.”
The King’s Speech comes with Sir Keir’s position in peril following a wave of backbench MPs calling for him to go and a handful of ministerial resignations in the wake of a devastating set of election results for Labour in English councils, Wales and Scotland.
The Prime Minister has insisted he will not leave office and has effectively called on potential rivals to challenge him under the party’s rules, which require a contender to have the backing of 81 MPs.
Ahead of the King’s Speech, Sir Keir had a brief meeting with one of his potential challengers, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister will address MPs on Wednesday afternoon for the first time since Labour’s electoral humiliation and amid speculation Mr Streeting is poised to launch his leadership bid.
In his written introduction to the legislative package, Sir Keir said: “At moments like these, we face a choice.
“We can choose to sink into the politics of grievance and division.
“Or we can choose to see it as an opportunity to deliver on the change we promised the British people.
“The King’s Speech sets our course. And we choose to build a stronger, fairer Britain.”
