King’s speech set to be delayed as Labour try to push legislation through the Lords

Labour has pushed back the king’s speech until late spring next year, nearly two years after it last set out its legislative agenda.

Charles delivered the king’s speech last July, shortly after Labour won the general election. Written by the government, it is the centrepiece of the state opening of Parliament, setting out the draft laws it plans to introduce in the coming months.

Labour MPs have complained they have relatively little legislative work and that the delay would mean they have nothing to do except “twiddle our thumbs”.

Several sources told The Observer they had been expecting the current parliamentary session to run longer than usual, likely into the autumn.

But MPs have now been briefed to expect the king’s speech in next May. It is understood to be delayed partly by a result of members of the House of Lords dragging their heels on legislation, with sources saying they were being “difficult” as a result of Labour’s planned reform of the upper house. The hereditaries bill, which will remove peers who inherited their position, is currently making its way through Parliament.

There is also a concern that the delay could push back long-hoped for legislation, such as the electoral reform bill, which had been anticipated this side of Christmas, as well as an AI bill.

Another MP added: “We are hungry for change but we have our own pet projects that we need to change the law for, and this is just more delay. We need to get our priorities right.”

It comes amid a brewing rebellion over Labour’s welfare reforms. Some Labour MPs said the delay reinforced the feeling that the government was not in control. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister said on Wednesday that the vote would still go ahead on Tuesday, despite more than 120 Labour MPs having signed an amendment designed to block the bill.

The last time there was a gap of two years between the monarch’s speeches was under the coalition government in 2010-2012, according to the Institute for Government.

Analysis by the institute for The Observer shows that, out of a total of 41 bills featured in last year’s king’s speech, 30 are either underway or passed – a relatively high proportion compared with other sessions. The government has also passed 10 other pieces of legislation in this time that were not included in the speech.

No 10 did not respond to requests for comment.

Photograph by Hannah McKay/Getty