LIVE: MPs to debate King’s Speech as Charles delivers Starmer’s agenda

Here’s our live stream of the State Opening of Parliament and the King’s Speech, marking the start of the parliamentary year:

Sir Keir Starmer appeared downcast as the State Opening of Parliament coincided with his premiership in crisis.

The Prime Minister is facing the biggest threat to his leadership following four ministerial resignations while 90 of his own MPs want him to step aside.

As the pomp and pageantry got under way, it was reported Wes Streeting is preparing to resign tomorrow to trigger a leadership contest.

by David Wilcock and Rory Tingle

Keir Starmer appears to have moved to avoid a potential new flashpoint with volatile Labour backbenchers on immigration after hardline plans to make it harder to stay in Britain legally were left out of the King’s Speech.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled proposals in March to double the time it will take immigrants to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), from five to 10 years.

Controversially, the plans would apply retrospectively to migrants already here – affecting 2.2million people who have arrived since 2021.

It prompted a minor revolt among Labour MPs, with Angela Rayner, the former deputy Prime Minister and potential challenger to Sir Keir, labelling it ‘un-British’.

The Speech given by the King today included plans for an Immigration and Asylum Bill that would ‘restore order and control to the immigration system’, but documents released alongside it make no mention of the move to harden criteria for ILR.

by David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor

Keir Starmer is to press on with dragging Brexit Britain closer to the EU with a new law allowing ministers to sideline Parliament and introduce Brussels’ rules under agreements that could cost taxpayers £1billion a year.

The King’s Speech today includes plans for a European Partnership Bill that explicitly aims to ‘strengthen ties with the European Union’, with the government insisting such movement is backed by the British people.

It says the bill will ‘tear down barriers to trade’ and boost jobs by smoothing the path of agreements for food and drink exports and electricity and emissions trading worth more than £5billion a year.

But the bill will also allow single market rules to be adopted through what is known as secondary legislation, limiting the ability of the Commons to scrutinise them.

MPs can either approve or reject secondary legislation, but they cannot seek to amend it as with regular legislation and they would not vote on every single change.

Unveiling the bill the government said: ‘UK citizens back a closer relationship with the European Union where it benefits the national interest.’

The King and Queen have departed from the Lords chamber after a speech that lasted around 11 minutes and 39 seconds.

The monarch unveiled a package of 35 Bills – and several draft Bills – which includes moves to cosy up to the EU, as well as boost the push for Net Zero

Legislation will be introduced to ‘unlock the benefits of airport expansion’, to speed up road-building, while a bill to nationalise British Steel will also be tabled.

The King also said the government will focus on supporting the armed forces and their families with a bill which ‘improves the service justice system’.

Legislation to reform the police, the NHS, the criminal justice system, and the immigration and asylum system will also be introduced.

Wes Streeting, in his first public comments since the meeting with Sir Keir Starmer, suggested he was focused on his job as Health Secretary.

See his X post below:

Health Secretary Wes Streeting appeared to be smiling as he stood in the House of Commons during the state opening of Parliament.

Mr Streeting could then be seen speaking to other MPs as they filed out of the Commons to attend the King’s Speech in the House of Lords.

Sir Keir Starmer could be seen sitting next to Shabana Mahmood in the Commons for the State Opening of Parliament.

The Home Secretary has reportedly told the Prime Minister to consider his position.

The Prime Minister was also seen smiling as he made small talk with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch as he made his way to the Lords.

The King said his Government will introduce new legislation to ‘strengthen ties with the European Union’.

Addressing Parliament, Charles said:

My Government believes that improved trading relations are vital for the United Kingdom’s economic security, for significantly raising economic growth, and for lowering prices for working people.

My Ministers will introduce legislation to take advantage of new trading opportunities, including a Bill to strengthen ties with the European Union. My Government will also support the economic security of British businesses.

He said legislation will be introduced to tackle late payments and ‘to reduce the burden of unnecessary regulation through innovation’.

The European Partnership Bill will provide a framework to adopt EU rules where the Government strikes deals with Brussels.

The Government will legislate in response to the ‘horrific attack’ in Southport in 2024, the King said.

He said:

They will respond to the horrific attack in Southport with measures to protect the British people from extreme violence, and honour the victims, the injured and their families.

The Government said the National Security Bill will seek to clamp down on extremist threats to the country, criminalise harmful online content and make planning mass attacks a specific criminal offence.

Outlining the priorities of Sir Keir Starmer’s Government in his speech at the state opening of Parliament, the King said the UK faced an ‘increasingly dangerous and volatile world’.

He said:

My Lords and members of the House of Commons.

An increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom, with the conflict in the Middle East only the most recent example. Every element of the nation’s energy, defence and economic security will be tested.

My Government will respond to this world with strength and aim to create a country that is fair for all. My ministers will take decisions that protect the energy, defence and economic security of the United Kingdom for the long-term.

They will defend the British values of decency, tolerance and respect for difference under our common flag, and they will harness the potential of the pride felt across this country for its communities.

The King has started his speech and says the Government will take ‘urgent action to tackle antisemitism and ensure all communities feel safe’.

Black Rod Ed Davis, the senior Lords officer, has arrived at the Commons to summon MPs to listen to the King’s Speech.

Per tradition, the door to the chamber was slammed in Black Rod’s face, who must bang the door three times before being given permission to enter.

As he banged on the door, a backbench MP shouted: ‘Not now Andy’.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle led the procession of MPs and was followed by Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch who was seen chatting to the Prime Minister.