King's Speech Could Make Or Break Starmer's Government

The King’s Speech will set out a lot of unnecessary legislation for show. It will resemble a worthy to-do list for the new government – mostly creating new bureaucracies, setting targets in law and making things that are already illegal more illegal.

- JOHN RENTOUL CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

These measures are mostly designed to “send a signal”, or to make ministers look busy, but the real tests for Keir Starmer lie elsewhere.

The King is expected to announce the setting up of bodies with names that go down well in focus groups, but which will do what existing organisations already do: Border Security Command, GB Energy and GB Railways. There will be targets set in law for housebuilding, which are more of a statement of intent than a workable law. Equally, some things that are a good idea, such as consulting the Office for Budget Responsibility before miniBudgets, will be codified in law, which is mainly an excuse for Labour to say “Liz Truss” and “Kwasi Kwarteng” a lot.

Then there is the business of tightening up a handful of specific laws. It is already illegal to spike drinks but we are promised that this will be made a specific offence. Shoplifting, antisocial behaviour and knives carried as weapons are all set to be made more illegal than they already are.

There is also the legislation left over from the last government: the renters’ reform bill; the gradual smoking ban; and Martyn’s Law to require venues to have a plan for a terrorist attack.