King Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, read the King's Speech in the House of Lords chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday. The monarch appeared fed up, having attempted to avoid the duty but ultimately obliged to attend. The Labour benches had noticeable gaps, reflecting the party's internal turmoil, while the Tory side showed fewer tiaras than usual. Charles sat down and fidgeted as everyone waited for Black Rod to summon MPs.
Starmer's Precarious Position
During the short walk to the Lords, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch attempted to engage Prime Minister Keir Starmer in conversation, remarking on sensational local election results. Starmer smiled wanly, acutely aware of his dire political situation. Behind them, James Cleverly tried to joke with Wes Streeting, but Streeting ignored him, still smarting from a humiliating brush-off from Starmer earlier that morning.
Charles sighed as he began reading the speech, questioning whether there was even a government at present. With Starmer's future numbered in days, the monarch felt the entire exercise might be a waste of time, as the next prime minister would have different priorities. He considered reading out TV listings instead but carried on with duty.
Parliamentary Reactions
As MPs returned to the Commons, Nigel Farage spoke with Conservative Andrew Mitchell, hoping for sympathy after being referred to the parliamentary commissioner for failing to declare a £5m gift from a Thai crypto billionaire. Farage dismissed the sum as chicken feed. Labour had called an unofficial truce on leadership maneuvers for the day, but Streeting's team briefed journalists that he would resign as health secretary the next day to trigger his bid.
The King's Speech debate began with lighthearted contributions from government backbenchers Naz Shah and Chris Vince. Shah took apart Nick Timothy and Robert Jenrick on race issues, speaking movingly about her childhood and mental health. Then Kemi Badenoch delivered a charmless speech, attacking the government with stud-first aggression that united Labour MPs against her. She even claimed Reform voters had actually voted for her, confusing her own side.
Starmer then spoke in what might be his last outing before a leadership contest. He thanked Kemi for her generosity of spirit but delivered an unfocused speech lacking vision. It remains unclear if he can survive the week, but the political drama is far from over.
