King’s Speech: What to expect on Labour’s big and powerful day

“Oh my God! We have a Labour government!” One delighted cabinet minister told me that reality only finally hit him as he was walking through his constituency on Friday, more than a week after voters had thrown out the Tories.

In the United States, the Attorney General felt compelled to plan early releases of prisoners (it is unusual for a politician to do so voluntarily), and doubts persist about the survival of the Port Talbot steelworks.

In other words, Labour is already grappling with the tasks the government is asking it to do – not the options it would choose.

But on Wednesday, their own plans will take centre stage, with all the fuss and fanfare that Westminster can muster – the presence of the king, the giant golden throne (yes, really!), the trumpets, the flourishes and the ruffles.

The first “King’s Speech” will list the laws the government hopes to pass in its first year of what Labour hopes will be a decade in power.

Don’t expect Labour’s plans to include fireworks – no rabbits popping out of fancy hats.

Another Cabinet minister said: “We are still in a situation where there are no surprises and we have to do the job we are hired to do.”

The speech will, however, be full of projects. The ministers have competed in ingenuity to get their proposals through.

The message, I was told, is to do the work, get your stuff ready, and the sooner you can do it, the more likely you are to get a slot for it.

The speech will be “anchored in Keir’s mission,” another source said – those “first six steps” we heard so much about during the election.

Wednesday marks the start of a lengthy process of passing at least 30 bills. It will include about 20 new laws and the completion of some unfinished business from the previous government, as Labour begins to breathe new life into its manifesto.

The priority of the 10th and 11th is to revive the economy. So expect plans to shake up the planning system, encourage housing construction and give more powers to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government’s budget watchdog.

Look out for plans to create Great British Energy, the government’s energy company, to expand workers’ rights, to create the National Wealth Fund – using the power of public money for long-term investment – and to give new powers to authorities across the country outside Westminster in the Take Back Control Bill (get it?).

There are likely to be two new Home Office bills: a border security bill so people smugglers can be treated as terrorists and a crime bill to tackle anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in county lines.

Plans to reform the Mental Health Act have been promised. The transfer of the railway sector to the public sector, the right to vote for 16-year-olds and changes to the House of Lords have also been mooted.

Rishi Sunak’s smoking ban is set to be implemented, as is the previous government’s promise to end no-cause evictions and introduce “Martyn’s Law”, legislation requiring venues to prepare for terrorist attacks, named after one of the victims of the Manchester Arena tragedy. Plans to tighten regulation of artificial intelligence are also underway.

Ministers have been strictly instructed not to comment categorically on what was or was not retained, even in private.

A huge amount of work for the speech was done before Labour’s election victory was secured, but protocol dictates that such announcements should be made by the monarch.

So to this day we cannot be entirely certain that some of the most controversial projects have been adopted this time around.

Also be wary of promises of “reviews” or “consultations.” Sometimes it makes sense to examine an issue carefully before passing new laws. In other cases, it is a way of appeasing those who are demanding action when ministers are not quite ready.

If an idea was not mentioned in the speech this time, it does not mean that it will never be realized. Governments always have the possibility of proposing other laws later.

But the speech is the government’s official to-do list, so Wednesday’s priorities are the government’s priorities.

Remember, Labour is in a hurry to show that it can get things done. I am told that it has put a lot of effort into drafting legislation that is “tough” and “workable” and “whole-of-Parliament proof” – that is, legislation that can be passed by the House of Lords.

The government has a huge majority in the House of Commons, but it has a different audience on the red benches at the other end of the Palace of Westminster.

They do not want to engage in time-consuming battles with the Lords, or create laws that could be cluttered with hundreds of possible amendments – useful adjustments – from their Lordships.

Wednesday will be a great time.

The bugles will sound. Black Rod will slam the door.

In a nod to the 16th century Gunpowder Plot, the Yeomen of the Guard will conduct a ceremonial search for explosives.

The king will wear the crown and put his name to Labour’s plans for the next two years.

Hundreds of new MPs will parade through the historic halls of Westminster.

And Sir Keir Starmer’s project in Parliament officially begins.

Ministers have already done their best to explain how deplorable the state of government they inherited is.

“You can’t overstate how dysfunctional it has been,” one minister told me.

On Friday evening, the Minister of Justice even accused the Conservatives of being the “guilty ones”.

Clearly some information is only available to those currently in government, but it is worth stressing that much of the information that new ministers describe as a “shock” – such as waiting lists and the size of the prison population – is in the public domain.

As we discussed last week, the Labour Party made a conscious decision, before winning the election, to tell the public that “it’s worse than we thought”.

A former Conservative minister said: “We must expose this nonsense.”

Nor do the statements of surprise quite square with Labour’s boast that it is incredibly well prepared to govern after months of painstaking research and discussions with senior officials.

But maybe the shock of being in charge is real.

A member of the new government said: “I still wake up every morning thinking the day before was a dream.”

This power is real. And on Wednesday we will know more about how Labour intends to use it.

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