King Charles III will deliver a speech today at the opening of the new session of British parliament, where he will present the government's program for the year.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the speech has not been canceled amid speculation about a possible resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In it, the monarch will present the government's program for the year. This speech is traditionally prepared by the cabinet, outlining its priorities. Charles III will present 35 bills from the Labour Party government, covering issues such as the economy, energy, national security, education, health and transport. According to Politico, after dozens of Labour MPs called for Starmer's resignation, Buckingham Palace contacted the Prime Minister's Office to clarify whether the ceremonial procedure should take place under the current circumstances.
A political crisis erupted in the United Kingdom after the local elections held on May 7. As a result, the Labour Party lost control of the Welsh Parliament for the first time in its history. The Labour Party won 1,400 fewer seats in various legislative bodies in England than before. Starmer took responsibility for the election defeat, but refused to resign as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Nearly 90 Labour Party members in the House of Commons (the lower house of parliament) called on Starmer to resign. Unhappy with the prime minister, Labour MPs believe that Starmer's continued presence in Downing Street will hurt the party's position in the next general election, which is due no later than August 2029. On Tuesday, four members of the government resigned in protest against Starmer: Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Miata Fahnebuleh, Home Secretary Jess Phillips, Justice Secretary Alex Davis-Jones and Health Secretary Zubir Ahmed. Several aides have also resigned.
However, Starmer remains in his post, as the formal process to replace the Labour Party leadership has not yet begun. This requires a Labour MP in the House of Commons who has secured the support of 20% of the party's members (81 MPs currently) to submit a written request to the party's general secretary.
According to The Daily Telegraph, ahead of Charles III's speech on the throne, Starmer will meet with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, considered one of his most likely successors if he resigns. The newspaper reports that the meeting was initiated by the minister, who intends to ask about the prime minister's future policy steps to save Labour's position.