Smoking ban, phone theft crackdown and football rules - what is in King's Speech
Rishi Sunak’s plan of what laws he wants to introduce before the next general election will be announced on Tuesday in the first King’s Speech in seven decades.
The State Opening of Parliament will see King Charles read out a list of pieces of legislation that the Government is planning to introduce. Many of the changes could have a big impact on ordinary people, including new rules on smoking that will see the sale of cigarettes gradually banned.
Even though it is called the King’s Speech, Charles is not responsible for drawing up the list himself and is merely reading out what has been written for him by the Government. It will be the first time he has delivered the speech since becoming monarch - although he gave the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in May 2022.
The new session of Parliament is likely to be the last before the next general election, which must take place by January 2025. Labour has accused Mr Sunak of leading a “Zombie Government” as several of the plans have been promised before.
The King’s Speech will take place from 11.30am on Tuesday. Follow our Mirror Politics live blog for updates.
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King Charles delivered the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother at the last State Opening of Parliament in May 2022 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)What will be in the King’s Speech?
Smoking ban: The age when you are allowed to buy cigarettes will rise by one year every year. It will mean those born after January 2009 - so anyone who is 14 or younger at the moment - will never be allowed to purchase them. The legal age in England is currently 18. The change was one of the big announcements made by Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party conference last month.
Sentencing: Judges will get extra powers to force criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. Ministers have been under pressure to act after a number of high-profile killers refused to leave their cells. They include Thomas Cashman, who shot dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and nurse Lucy Letby. Families of victims say they have previously been denied the right to see justice done. Offenders who commit murders with sexual or sadistic motives also will spend the rest of their lives in prison, under government proposals.
Leasehold reform: All newly built homes in England and Wales will have to be sold as freehold properties to stop the scandal of rip-off charges. Flats will not be covered by the long-promised leasehold ban, which campaigners argue will not go far enough. However, existing leaseholders are expected to get more power to manage their building and service charges.
Football regulator: An independent body will be set up to govern the top five leagues of English football. It will introduce rules on who can become the owners and directors of clubs, and will have powers to stop teams joining breakaway leagues.
A football regulator will oversee the top five leagues in English football (Getty Images)Stolen mobiles clampdown: The police will be able to search properties for stolen goods, such as mobile phones, without having to get a warrant. Officers will not have to get permission from a court to raid a property if they have reasonable proof that nicked goods are inside, because they are being tracked with apps such as Find My iPhone.
Town hall salaries: Local authorities will have to hold a vote of all councillors if they want to pay any officials more than £100,000. There are thought to be 2,759 local council workers in England and Wales on six-figure salaries.
Oil and gas licensing: Ministers will be required to run a North Sea oil and gas licensing round every year. The Government has claimed this is necessary to enhance the UK’s energy security and will help to protect more than 200,000 jobs in the industry, although it will not help lower bills for consumers. It looks like it is being done for political reasons after Labour said it will stop handing out new exploration licences.
The Government plans to keep handing out North Sea oil and gas licences despite protests (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)Driving rules: Local councils will find it harder to introduce 20mph speed limits or clean-air schemes such as the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) in Greater London. Rishi Sunak has U-turned on a series of green policies after the Tories unexpectedly won the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election in July thanks to anger over Ulez, but his poll ratings have not improved.
International trade: Legislation will be introduced so the UK can formally join a trade pact with several countries in Asia and the Pacific, after it signed an agreement to do so earlier this year. Members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
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Re-heated announcements
Several of the laws that will be included in the King’s Speech are being carried over from the last parliamentary session as the Government did not have time to pass them into law.
Boycotts: Public bodies such as local councils will be stopped from having “politically motivated” boycotts of foreign countries. The planned is an attempt to limit the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for economic and cultural boycotts of Israel and Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Holocaust memorial: Legal changes are needed so that a Holocaust memorial and learning centre can be built in Victoria Tower Gardens, which is the park right next to the Houses of Parliament. Restrictions on the use of the land have so far stopped it getting permission.
Renters’ rights: A long-promised ban on tenants being kicked out of their properties if they have done nothing wrong will be re-announced. The Conservatives first pledged to end section 21 no-fault evictions in 2019 and included it as a pledge in their election manifesto. But it has been repeatedly delayed as it has faced opposition from Tory MPs, many of whom are landlords.
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