The politics of division: A most political King’s Speech

The legislative programme outlined in today’s politically charged King's Speech was designed to further establish the dividing lines the Government want to draw against Labour going into election season next year. ?

Doubling down on the messaging introduced during Conservative Party Conference, the Conservatives have set out a series of proposals which aimed to portray Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as the man most capable of making the long-term decisions for the future prosperity of the UK. ?

In truth it contained few surprises, and was notable in its brevity compared to previous recent editions in what is likely to be the last parliamentary session before the country goes to the polls next year. Much of the 21 bills announced this morning had already been heavily briefed in advance, and some didn’t even make the cut. ??

Despite its brevity, what was announced was important in framing the electoral debate which will dominate the political discourse over the next twelve months. Further detail emerged on the rolling back of the net-zero agenda, including new legislation requiring annual rounds of oil and gas licensing in the North Sea, as well as the introduction of tougher sentences for the worst offenders. ?

The Conservatives will be hoping that these obvious appeals to their traditional electoral base will eventually curry favour with voters who appear to have deserted them given their current standing in the polls. ?

The Government wasn’t just picking a fight with Labour however. Further detail was provided on the proposed smoking ban announced in Manchester last month, as well as the introduction of a tax on vaping. This is likely to draw confrontation amongst Conservative backbenchers, many of whom feel the policy is overly proscriptive and economically na?ve. ?

They are also likely to face opposition over plans to ban no-fault evictions, given many of the rank and file of the parliamentary party are landlords themselves. Politically they will argue this is yet another knock on a teetering housing market and skew the rental system in favour of difficult tenants. In addition a bill was introduced which takes steps to reform — and in some cases abolish — the traditional leasehold system with a direct appeal to homeowners.?

Long-term decision making was the overarching theme in a pledge to reform large parts of the British economy. Bills were introduced for the future of self-driving cars and buses, no doubt aimed at bolstering Sunak’s perception as a technology forward thinker. ?

Elsewhere the Government introduced the creation of Great British Railways, a quango to take on the Government’s franchising powers amidst the turmoil of recent rail strikes. We also finally got details on the long-awaited football governance bill, which creates a regulator to oversee clubs and their finances following the fan-led football review. ?

Sunak and his team will be hoping that his pitch to the country, as the change candidate capable of serving Britain’s long term interests, will gain traction. However, the worry for the party is that it shows little sign of doing so yet. ??

One week removed from his controversial AI summit, the risk from today’s slimmed down legislative set piece is that it has whittled away yet another opportunity to broaden the electoral appeal of the Prime Minister. ?

Attention will now turn to the Autumn Statement later this month, which is looking like an increasingly pivotal event if the Conservatives are to make any dent in Labour’s lead. ?

This was the first King’s Speech since the change in monarch. And it could be Sunak’s last. ?