The UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled plans for the first King’s Speech in over 70 years. In it, he expressed plans to put law and order at the centre of his priorities ahead of the next general election. The government has placed tougher sentences for the most serious criminals, and measures to force offenders to appear in the dock among those plans for the year.
Mr Sunak is looking to present himself as a clear change from his predecessors; however, some past pledges made by the Conservatives were notably absent. The prime minister is hoping to showcase key policies and draw dividing lines with the opposition to win over voters. With the Conservatives behind Labour in the polls, this is a key strategy for the prime minister to highlight the government’s priorities ahead of the election.
A phased ban on smoking, reform of the leasehold system, and a bill to ensure licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea are awarded annually were among the other measures outlined. However, supporters of a ban on so-called conversion therapy will be disappointed that it is not included, and there is no mention of a bill to ban the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain, a Conservative manifesto commitment during the last election.
The key focus of the speech was keeping the public safe and improving justice for victims, with plans including a bill to implement past promises to ensure offenders who commit murders with sexual or sadistic motives will spend the remainder of their lives in prison. The Criminal Justice Bill will include measures to make clear that “reasonable force” can be used to make criminals appear in the dock, with offenders who refuse given two additional years in prison.
The Renters Reform Bill, which includes a long-promised ban on “no-fault evictions” in England, will continue its journey through Parliament. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of being “out of touch and out of ideas,” saying the speech failed to address issues such as the cost of living, the NHS, and sewage pollution. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the government had not taken steps that could increase economic growth, including more migration
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