To think that most people don't understand the significance of the King's Speech

[MargoLivebetter]

As it is happening today, I wondered whether fellow posters would be watching and if they knew what it was all about? I work in the broad field of political matters, so I'm very conscious of it, but I wondered if it meant anything to anyone else.

Interested to hear if I'm being AIBU. I hope I am!

Of course it would. Can you even begin to imagine the security costs for having the King and Queen, all the Lords from HoL, all the MPs from HoC present in one place?
Horrendous. It will have cost millions.

Totally agree. And let's remember we have done this THREE times in the last 18 months (having had three new PMs in that timescale)

It's on the World at One right now. I've listened to about 3 mins and likely gained more knowledge (about the issue they were discussing) than actually listening to the speech ie. WILL it actually happen, and WHEN it might happen and what are the blockers.

Why??

and all the other ceremonial bits😂
Such disrespect. To the Tower with you. Off with your head!

Agree @Benjilassi the analysis is more helpful than the speech itself, but you couldn't have the analysis without the speech.

I'm not advocating it should be done the way it is, but you have to have a mechanism for laying out the intentions for Parliament and this is what we have at the moment.

It is a shame that so much of it seems laughable, when actually it is claiming the sovereignty of Parliament (the people we elect) over the Monarchy.

I have a new MP so may be tempted to get in touch with them. However, my previous MP was a complete waste of space and literally no point in getting in touch with him because his answer was always that he could do nothing to help! That's what puts people off!

@SummerDays2020 MPs have limited power individually. However, they are your representative, so at the very least have to acknowledge your perspective. If there is a particular piece of legislation you are interested in (there are 40 proposed bills) keep an eye on it and see when the consultations are sought and you can feed in then.

@BustingBaoBun We don't have a State Opening every time there is a new PM. It's normally once a year and after a general election as we have a new government. This is the 3rd in 26 months and it's because we have a new government.

No, you are the only one erudite enough to understand it. Well done.

Just read the key points. Very impressive actually.

If you care about education, that's politics. If you care about housing or roads or dentists or traffic or social care-all politics. Just saying.

A bit pointless after they’ve voted, isn’t it? Unless you’re a fan of finger pointing, blaming and vote shaming?

This. It's a ridculous spectacle. I want the actual government's plans for governance, not the elaborate surrouding pantomime starring the bloke in the shiny hat. It's perfectly possible to have a constitution (even one that actually resembles a constitution) without all this silly brouhaha. And yes, I do 'understand' and have read extensively about what the UK constitution means thanks, before the inevitable tedious protestations on that score.

The planning bill looks to me disastrous. I'm also quite concerned with what's not being said as much as what is. We currently have an HE system that's imploding, but only one of the 40 bills - Skills for Work - mentions the post-compulsory sector. On the plus side, there's no mention of any ban on so-called 'conversion therapy' (which is not conversion therapy) - is this a sign Labour are seeing the light at last?

A lot of the popularist stuff you might expect. And a proposed ban on zero-hours contracts, whereas some sectors have haemorrhaged such large percentages of their staff to VS that the point is pretty moot in any case.

The change of government has brought little mood for optimism that I can see.

Yes I'm fully aware of it and it's significance. No I didn't watch it because I was working, pretty much everything is leaked beforehand and it is fairly extensively reported afterwards.

Unsure why you've basically posted saying nobody knows as much as you do though. It's ever so slightly condescending. I suspect many posters know a great deal more about a great many subjects than you do too. It doesn't make you special or important.

It's also absolutely fine for people to have no interest in it whatsoever.

Oh, I'd glossed over the question as to whether people had actually watched it.

No - responding to the OP here, not the sensible PP whose post I'm quoting above - because I can also read. Not least have little patience with so-called traditions that look like a throwback to the Dark Ages. Last thing Britain needs, IMO.

It’s not the word that puts people off politics: it’s the politicians.

Jesus, the hatred for an institution that has the obvious advantages of being the symbol of state without the dangers of being all-powerful and completely gaga or potentially all-powerful and a repulsive crook.

”But the loon and the charlatan are democratically elected!” 🙄

Oh and on house building. It won't happen because there just aren't the resources to deliver it. It's difficult enough to staff for existing key infrastructure programmes. The absolute drain that is HS2 has depleted both material and person resource, pushed the price of concrete sky high and removed colossal amounts of funding from the pot.

Well I listened to it and it was completely lacklustre and boring

An institution that if anything would have happened to Charles before he had kids you could have had a repulsive Andrew as King.

An institution that exempts itself from laws it doesn't like, it's a pretty repulsive institution.

We had one 10 May 2022. 7 November 2023. And this one.

Yes, not PM but new session of parliament. Me wrong.

Opposition. The word is 'opposition', but you can certainly set your watch by the predictable rhetorical strategy of calling anyone who disapproves of something a 'hater'.

This will not have its desired effect of closing down discussion. Questions about the relevance or actual point of the Windsors are only growing louder and more persistent. And if you think this family only has soft power, or are free from corruption, or are devoid of any ability to bend and manipulate laws and customs to suit themselves, or really are elevated to the 'higher' status their titles crack on they are, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Amen.

I'm happy to have a bullet-point list of what's coming up after the speech. I have no interest in listening to the king on any issue.