King’s Speech set for week after May’s crunch elections

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to unveil the agenda for the next phase of his government in the immediate aftermath of May’s crucial elections.

The King’s Speech has been pencilled in for May 12 or 13 next year, the BBC has been told, just days after elections across Britain on 7 May.

The elections in May cover the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Senedd as well as thousands of council seats in England and a handful of directly elected mayoralties.

Labour is braced for a bad night at the polls, which many Labour MPs believe could precipitate a challenge to Sir Keir’s leadership.

One government source told the BBC: “It will be much harder for somebody to challenge the PM and say we need to go in a different direction when the King is about to come to parliament to announce what we’re doing for the next year.”

Others dispute that there is any connection between the threat to Sir Keir’s leadership and the date selected for the King’s Speech, pointing out that in some recent years – most recently 2022 – the speech has taken place in May, when local elections are always held.

The speech also took place very soon after local elections in 2021 and in 2016.

The King’s Speech is part of the state opening of Parliament, a ceremonial event marking the start of a parliamentary session, which typically lasts for a year but can run for much longer.

The current session is on the long side, having begun after the general election in July 2024.

The speech is written by the government but read by the Monarch from a throne in the House of Lords.

It sets out the government’s agenda for the coming session, specifying what pieces of legislation the government intends to pass.

Cabinet ministers began the process of formally “bidding” for legislation they want to be included in the King’s Speech around early October.

Most ministers now know which bills Sir Keir wants to include in his post-May agenda, a source said.