Date Of King's Speech Announced As Parliament Enters Summer Recess
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt announced the date of the King's Speech (Alamy)
3 min read
As parliament rises for summer recess, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt has announced the King’s Speech will take place on 7 November.
The King’s Speech will be King Charles III’s first as monarch and the last before the next general election, and is expected to announce a number of reforms.
Setting out the government’s next programme of legislation, the King’s Speech had been delayed to autumn as the current parliamentary session had been extended to allow the government to get through its “packed” agenda – rushing to get multiple large and contentious bills through parliament.
In a written ministerial statement, Mordaunt confirmed the State Opening of Parliament will take place on 7 November 2023.
“As is usual, the current session of Parliament will be prorogued ahead of the King’s Speech and this time will be used to enable logistical and security preparations for the State Opening of Parliament,” she said.
Addressing parliament, Mordaunt insisted the government had pushed through multiple pieces of legislation, including the Illegal Migration Bill and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, in order to work towards delivering Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s five new year pledges for government.
“I want to thank all colleagues for helping with the legislative agenda,” she said.
“It has been supporting delivery including the Prime Minister's five priorities, the things that matter to most of the people of this country as we recover from the pandemic and global shocks.”
Earlier this year, Housing Secretary Michael Gove signalled that legislation to allow for further leasehold reform would likely be included in the King’s Speech.
“We hope, in the forthcoming King’s Speech, to introduce legislation to fundamentally reform the system,” he said.
“Leaseholders, not just in this case but in so many other cases, are held to ransom by freeholders. We need to end this feudal form of tenure and ensure individuals have the right to enjoy their own property fully.”
MPs have also called for an Employment Bill to be included in the King’s Speech, after a report from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee highlighted the difference in rights between those in full and part-time employment.
Labour MP and committee chair Darren Jones said a bill was needed to tackle “exploitative” workplace practices.
“Weak or absent enforcement means workers can be exposed to exploitative practices without any consequence, rendering their rights worthless,” he said.
“Regulatory bodies are doing the best they can with what they have but the government really must get a move on and create the single enforcement body promised back in 2019. A one-stop shop for workers and businesses would provide the clarity, security and effective oversight that is needed.”
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