King's Speech: UK Government and Rishi Sunak accused of failing workers and doing nothing for economic growth

MPs and peers heard the longest monarch’s speech at a state opening of Parliament for nearly 20 years.

The UK Government has been accused of failing workers and doing nothing for economic growth, as Rishi Sunak was accused of containing “party first, country second gimmicks” in a King's Speech light on surprises.

In a speech of policies already trailed or announced, King Charles III detailed legislation mandating annual oil and gas licensing for the North Sea, and bans on cigarettes. But what struck MPs was what wasn’t mentioned.

The long-promised employment Bill was nowhere to be seen, prompting a furious response from unions. Opposition parties savaged the Government’s handling of the economy.

Rishi Sunak walks with Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer through the Central Lobby at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords.

Ministers also put themselves a collision course with unions over its controversial plans to ensure minimum levels of service during strikes – something the Scottish Government has condemned as unworkable, and refused to co-operate with.

It follows a King’s Speech that ran to 1,223 words, making it the longest monarch’s speech at a state opening of Parliament since 2005, but with just 21 Bills, the fewest of any since 2004.

In a sign of the anger at the King’s Speech, union after union lined up to condemn the programme for failing workers.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the speech as “cheap electioneering”, saying there was “nothing” to fix the country’s problems.

King Charles III sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament, in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster in London.

He said: “Ministers have turned their back on working people. Having promised numerous times to bring forward an employment Bill to tackle insecure work, the Tories have junked this promise and are now attacking people’s fundamental right to strike.

“Instead of fixing our crumbling public services, the Government is trying to blame paramedics, teachers and other key workers for their failures”.

Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, labelled it a “missed opportunity”, branding the UK Government a “lame duck administration for workplace rights”.

Unison’s general secretary Christina McAnea called the Tories a “government with nothing left to offer”.

She added: "There was little announced today that will make the slightest bit of difference to the many real and deep-seated problems the country faces. This is a legislative programme heavy on cheap political points, but light on policies to right the wrongs of years of foolhardy austerity”.

The Royal College of Nursing also condemned the speech, as did the British Medical Association.

It also sparked yet another constitutional battle, as Scottish ministers said they would refuse to co-operate with UK Government legislation designed to ensure minimum levels of service during strikes.

Scottish minister Neil Gray condemned the "appalling" plan, which Mr Sunak hopes to have in place for Christmas.

Mr Gray, Cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy, said: "Ministers strongly oppose any Act that undermines legitimate trade union activity and does not respect fair work principles. This is another appalling piece of anti-trade union, anti-worker legislation from Westminster that will harm, not improve industrial relations."

At the state opening in the House of Lords, MPs, peers and VIP guests had dressed up in finery, with tiaras, hats and gowns to hear from the monarch.

King Charles read out a package of 20 Bills and a draft including proposals to end no-fault evictions, pave the way for self-driving cars, ban live export of livestock for slaughter, subject streaming giants to new video-on-demand rules, and raise the age of smoking. Of these, just 11 will apply to Scotland.

With a general election expected next year, the Prime Minister put a series of criminal justice proposals at the centre of the first such speech he has overseen from No 10. But after 13 years of Conservative government, opposition MPs spoke with an anger rarely seen in the Commons.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn claimed Brexit had broken Britain, and the Tories had failed on economic growth.

Mr Flynn told the Commons: “We all know that Britain is broke and Brexit broke it. But we so obviously need economic growth and for those of us on these benches, there is an obvious solution in this front. There is perhaps three or four things that we could and should do.

“They may not be popular with members on certainly the Government side and indeed some on the official opposition side. But they are necessary because all of us I think would agree that in order to have economic growth what you need and what you have to see is the tax base expanded. The easiest way to do that is to actually increase working age migration into these isles.”

Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of delivering “more of the same” by presenting a King’s Speech containing “party first, country second gimmicks”.

The Labour leader also said Mr Sunak “cannot be a serious Prime Minister” if he continues with Suella Braverman in post, as he claimed the home secretary was pursuing “her divisive brand of politics”.

It comes after it was reported Ms Braverman had pushed for restrictions on the use of tents in urban environments.

Speaking with several more days of the King’s Speech debate ahead, Sir Keir said victories for opposition parties in by-elections showed “without question that Britain is ready for change”.

Sir Keir said: “Victories that have reduced the party opposite, now nearly 14 years in power, to the desperate spectacle of claiming it offers change away from itself.

“Today’s address shows just how ridiculous that posturing is. Because what we have before us is a plan for more of the same, more sticking plasters, more division, more party first, country second gimmicks, and no repudiation of the utterly discredited idea that economic growth is something the few hand down to the many.

“In fact, today we reached something of a new low, because they are not even pretending to govern any more. They have given up on any sense of service.

“They see our country’s problems as something to be exploited, not solved and in doing this they underestimate the British people, because what Britain wants is for them to stop messing around and get on with the job.”

Despite the clashes, there was also a lighter note in some of the speeches, with MPs striking a more neutral and comedic tone, as is tradition.

Earlier while celebrating the Conservatives’ three female prime ministers, Senior Tory MP Sir Robert Goodwill said: “We have now had three women Conservative premiers, assuming the most recent one counts, of course.”

Siobhan Baillie, the Conservative MP for Stroud, joined Sir Robert in mocking the rate at which their party has changed leader over the past year.

Seconding the motion on the King’s Speech, and speaking about the role of public service, she said it gives MPs the chance to change things “for everyday families”, adding: “It also allows the hardest working Prime Minister I have known – and I have known quite a few recently.

“At one point … my baby was three months old and I think she had met three prime ministers.”