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Queen’s Speech 2022

Her Majesty’s most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament.

My Lords and members of the House of Commons.

My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families. My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work. My Ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer, and fund the National Health Service to reduce the COVID backlogs. In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine.

My Government will drive economic growth to improve living standards and fund sustainable investment in public services. This will be underpinned by a responsible approach to the public finances, reducing debt while reforming and cutting taxes. My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to its target.

A Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success. The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development [Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill].

My Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovations. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers [Transport Bill].

My Ministers will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. This will build on the success of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year [Energy Security Bill]. Draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses will be published. Measures will also be published to create new competition rules for digital markets and the largest digital firms [Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill].

My Government will establish the UK Infrastructure Bank in legislation, with objectives to support economic growth and the delivery of net zero [UK Infrastructure Bank Bill].

Reforms to education will help every child fulfil their potential wherever they live, raising standards and improving the quality of schools and higher education [Schools Bill, Higher Education Bill]. My Ministers will publish draft legislation to reform the Mental Health Act [Draft Mental Health Act Reform Bill].

My Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed. A bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended [Brexit Freedoms Bill]. Public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses [Procurement Bill].

New legislation will strengthen the United Kingdom’s financial services industry, ensuring that it continues to act in the interest of all people and communities [Financial Services and Markets Bill]. The United Kingdom’s data protection regime will be reformed [Data Reform Bill].

My Government will continue to champion international trade, delivering jobs across the country and growing the economy. Legislation will be introduced to enable the implementation of the United Kingdom’s first new Free Trade Agreements since leaving the European Union [Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill].

My Ministers will encourage agricultural and scientific innovation at home. Legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production [Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill].

My Government will protect the integrity of the United Kingdom’s borders and ensure the safety of its people. My Ministers will take action to prevent dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and tackle the criminal gangs who profit from facilitating them. Legislation will be introduced to ensure the police have the powers to make the streets safer [Public Order Bill].

A bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow [Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill]. Measures will be introduced to support the security services and help them protect the United Kingdom [National Security Bill].

My Government will lead the way in championing security around the world. It will continue to invest in our gallant Armed Forces. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to maintain a united NATO and address the most pressing global security challenges.

The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to my Government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts. My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past [Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill].

My Government will ensure the constitution is defended. My Ministers will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts by introducing a Bill of Rights [Bill of Rights]. Legislation will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion [Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Bill].

My Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes [Social Housing Regulation Bill]. Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy [Conversion Therapy Bill]. Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football.

In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

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Queen’s Speech 2022 transcript: Full text of State Opening of Parliament address delivered by Prince Charles

The prince of wales stepped in for the state opening of parliament after the queen was forced to pull out due to mobility issues.

Prince Charles attended the State Opening of Parliament 2022 in the Queen’s place after she was forced to pull out due to “episodic mobility problems” .

The Prince of Wales delivered the Queen’s Speech instead, with Boris Johnson’s Government pledging to put forward a  bumper legislative programme  of 38Bills.

At 874 words, the address was the shortest speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2013 and well below the average of 1,091 words of speeches during the Queen’s reign.

It took Prince Charles just eight minutes and 45 seconds to read it on Tuesday , a far cry from the 15 minutes it took the Queen to deliver 1999’s effort.

This marked the third time during the Queen’s reign that she did not deliver the speech in person, having missed the 1959 and 1963 events when pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward respectively.

Queen’s Speech 2022 full transcript

The full text of the 2022 Queen’s Speech delivered by Prince Charles is as follows:

“My lords and members of the House of Commons.

“My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families.

“My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work.

“My ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer and fund the National Health Service to reduce the Covid backlogs.

“In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine.

“My Government will drive economic growth to improve living standards and fund sustainable investment in public services.

“This will be underpinned by a responsible approach to the public finances, reducing debt while reforming and cutting taxes.

“My ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to its target.

“A Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success.

“The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development.

More on Queen's Speech

“My Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovations. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers.

“My ministers will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. This will build on the success of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year.

“Draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses will be published.

“Measures will also be published to create new competition rules for digital markets and the largest digital firms.

“My Government will establish the UK Infrastructure Bank in legislation, with objectives to support economic growth and the delivery of net zero.

“Reforms to education will help every child fulfil their potential wherever they live, raising standards and improving the quality of schools and higher education.

“My ministers will publish draft legislation to reform the Mental Health Act.

“My Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed.

“A Bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended.

“Public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses.

“New legislation will strengthen the United Kingdom’s financial services industry, ensuring that it continues to act in the interest of all people and communities.

“The United Kingdom’s data protection regime will be reformed.

“My Government will continue to champion international trade, delivering jobs across the country and growing the economy.

“Legislation will be introduced to enable the implementation of the United Kingdom’s first new Free Trade Agreements since leaving the European Union.

“My Ministers will encourage agricultural and scientific innovation at home.

“Legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production.

“My Government will protect the integrity of the United Kingdom’s borders and ensure the safety of its people.

“My ministers will take action to prevent dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and tackle the criminal gangs who profit from facilitating them.

“Legislation will be introduced to ensure the police have the powers to make the streets safer.

“A Bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow.

“Measures will be introduced to support the security services and help them protect the United Kingdom.

“My Government will lead the way in championing security around the world. It will continue to invest in our gallant Armed Forces.

“My ministers will work closely with international partners to maintain a united Nato and address the most pressing global security challenges.

“The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to my Government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts.

“My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past.

“My Government will ensure the constitution is defended. My ministers will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts by introducing a Bill of Rights.

“Legislation will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion.

“My Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes.

“Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy.

“Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football.

“In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

“Members of the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

“My lords and members of the House of Commons, other measures will be laid before you.

“I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.”

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The Queen’s speech 2022: what was in it and what it means

Analysis: The bills included on the government’s agenda for the year and what their aims are

The Queen’s speech , which set out the government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary year, was a mix of new plans, long-made pledges and a handful of held-over bills. Here is what it set out – and what it all means, politically.

What is planned: There are six proposed bills intended to make the UK more competitive or otherwise free and liberal in the wake of Brexit , or tailored to post-Brexit trade deals. The flagship is the Brexit freedoms bill, which allows EU rules to be easily removed. Also planned are the procurement bill, financial services and markets bill, data reform bill, genetic technology (precision breeding) bill and trade (Australia and New Zealand) bill.

Why it’s there: In part this is the sheer logistical necessity of changing regulations in the aftermath of Brexit. But the Brexit freedoms bill in particular is intended to remind voters that Boris Johnson got departure from the EU over the line, seen by the Conservatives as a key success.

Culture wars

What is planned: There are seven bills arguably aimed, in part or whole, at stirring up the Tory base, creating headlines in friendly papers and annoying opponents. A public order bill will specifically target disruptive environmental protesters; a media bill will allow Channel 4 to be privatised; public bodies will not be allowed to boycott certain countries. Arguably the key bill would replace the Human Rights Act with a UK bill of rights. The higher education (freedom of speech) bill makes a return from the last parliament. The levelling up bill promises local people “more of a say over changing street names”. Finally, the conversion therapy bill will ban practices aimed at changing sexuality, but not gender identity.

Why it’s there: This is all part of a wider No 10-led strategy to focus on such divisive issues in the hope of shoring up support among socially conservative voters. Whether there are enough of these to win another election, if more liberal Britons become alienated, remains to be seen.

Energy, cost of living and levelling up

What is planned: Two things – a bill setting out Downing Street’s energy security policy, and the much-touted bill to put into law the strategy for levelling up. The latter is described in fairly broad terms, with commitments including the pledge for more devolution in England and, perhaps more appealing to some voters, giving local people powers to shape planning decisions.

Why it’s there: The planning element is fairly clearly aimed at wooing disillusioned Tory voters, especially in the south of England. Elsewhere, it is more of a question, some might argue, of why there is not more focus on the cost of living, even if in part this is because this is an issue which concerns day-to-day policy rather than legislation.

Environment

What is planned: In legislative terms, only one thing: creating a UK infrastructure bank to “support regional and local economic growth and deliver net zero”.

Why it’s there: As with the cost of living, critics might point to the lack of much else. The 140-page Queen’s speech briefing document has brief mentions of the climate emergency in terms of foreign aid, but that is otherwise it. The only mention of “insulate” is a promise to jail Insulate Britain protesters.

What is planned: A higher education bill and a schools bill, setting out loans for post-18 education and a funding settlement for English schools.

Why it’s there: Education is a perennial feature of Queen’s speeches. The schools funding settlement has been contentious for some time, and could bring debate.

Housing and planning

What is planned: Once again, given the housing crisis, it is a case, perhaps, of what is not said. There are planned bills to create a regulator of social housing, and a renters’ reform bill to abolish “no fault” evictions. More significant are the “blue wall”-friendly measures to allow more local input into planning.

Why it’s there: There appears no consensus in government about how to build more homes, so improving the lot of renters at least does something. And planning has been a political minefield for many years.

Crime and security

What is planned: Yet another permanent fixture of the Queen’s speech. A national security bill – a delayed espionage bill from the previous session – tightens up official secrets law and will require lobbyists and PRs to register work for foreign states. An economic crime bill, revived after the invasion of Ukraine, proposes giving more powers to Companies House, insisting on better identity verification for those who manage, own or control British companies.

Why it’s there: Most of the crime bills are legislative tidying up; the flagship crime-based bill is the public order bill, seeking to further restrict protest. Critics will note there is nothing aimed at easing the backlog of cases in the judicial system.

Everything else

What is planned: A mixed bag of more than a dozen bills taking in areas including transport, including a plan for Great British Railways to simplify the privatised rail system and a law specifically aimed at P&O Ferries, mandating minimum employment standards for seafarers. Two bills concern Northern Ireland, and others are even more specific, such as the planned electronic trade documents bill, which puts electronic documents on the same legal basis as their paper equivalents.

Why it’s there: It depends on the bill. Some, such as the rail bill, are the hobby horse of a particular minister (in this case, Grant Shapps). Others simply adapt legislation for a changing world. A few, such as a bill on modern slavery and people trafficking, have been discussed and delayed for some years.

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A Guide to the Queen’s Speech: Crown Jewels, Black Rod and a Mace

Proceedings in the British Parliament on Monday are a nod to hundreds of years of history. But Brexit loomed over the ceremonies.

By Megan Specia and Allison McCann

LONDON — A “hostage,” a search for explosives, heaps of royal jewels and a five-foot silver gilt mace . Welcome to the reopening of Britain’s Parliament, replete with ancient traditions and elaborate rituals, and infused with tension over the country’s looming exit from the European Union.

The restart of government business on Monday started with a speech by Queen Elizabeth II, a significant ceremonial duty that set out the government’s agenda. It paved the way for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempts to navigate the Brexit deadline, Oct. 31, to be back at center stage as lawmakers return to Westminster to pick apart his manifesto.

Hours of royal pomp and stagecraft played out in the halls of Parliament as the queen and her entourage made an elaborate guest appearance at Britain’s government buildings.

The opening was rife with ceremony and symbolism, all of it steeped in history — with some elements dating back to the Middle Ages. Here is a guide.

A Gaslit Hunt for Explosives

Some elements of Parliament’s reopening happen behind the scenes, including a ceremonial search of the cellars of government buildings for explosives.

Before the queen’s arrival, her guards, decked out in royal red, trekked down to the cellars, gas lamps in hand. Based on historical precedent, the tradition is a nod to the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes and his Catholic collaborators to blow up Parliament and, with it, King James I, a Protestant.

Then there is the hostage taking.

A member of Parliament was ceremonially held hostage in Buckingham Palace while the queen visits Westminster, just in case the lawmakers decided not to return her.

This is rooted in the 1600s, when the relationship between Parliament and the monarchy was particularly fraught under Charles I. (He was eventually beheaded at the end of a civil war.)

A Royal Entrance

The queen paraded from her home in Buckingham Palace through the streets of London to the government buildings at Westminster in a horse-drawn carriage escorted by the Household Cavalry, who serve as her mounted bodyguards.

The Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and the Great Sword of State arrived in their own carriage.

The monarch pulled up to a special passageway — a looming archway known as the Sovereign’s Entrance — that’s reserved just for her.

The Queen’s Royal Threads

Then it was time for a costume change. The monarch headed into the elaborate Robing Room, and emerged wearing the Robe of State, an 18-foot red velvet cape.

Typically, she would also wear the Imperial State Crown, encrusted with 2,868 diamonds and hundreds of other jewels, including 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls. Think bling.

It must be heavy, particularly for the 93-year-old monarch. That may be part of the reason she wore the smaller Diamond Diadem instead, though the Imperial State Crown was placed beside her.

Elizabeth is an expert in opening Parliament, having conducted the ceremony dozens of times throughout her reign. The exceptions were in 1959, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew, and in 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Edward.

Once fully kitted out, she led a procession on the arm of her son Prince Charles through the Royal Gallery, packed with 600 guests, to the chamber of the House of Lords. The Great Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance, symbols of sovereign power and authority, were carried in front of the queen by two peers. The queen then sat on the throne in the Lords’ Chamber and waited for her remaining audience to arrive.

Slamming the Door in Black Rod’s Face

Sarah Clarke, the jauntily dressed House of Lords official known as the Usher of the Black Rod, named for the black stick that she wields, was then sent from the Lords’ Chamber to summon the lawmakers in the House of Commons.

On approach, the speaker of the House of Commons then — ceremoniously, of course — slammed the door in her face.

This tradition, which dates from the English Civil War of the 1600s, symbolizes the lawmaking body’s independence from the monarchy. After three strikes on the door, Black Rod — who was appointed Lady Usher in November 2017 and took up her duties early the following year — was let in, along with a procession of lawmakers, to listen to the queen’s speech.

Accompanying her was the sergeant-at-arms, whose role dates from the 1400s, carrying the mace : a five-foot, silver-gilt ornamental staff that represents the royal authority of the crown and dates from at least 1559 .

The Queen’s Speech

Then it was time for the main event.

From atop a throne in the House of Lords, the queen set out the agenda and legislative policies of Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party, typically a formality. She spoke around 11:30 a.m. local time.

The Sovereign’s Throne — elaborately carved wood, gilded, set with crystals and upholstered in royal red velvet — was constructed and designed in 1847. It is based on a throne from 1308 that sits nearby in Westminster Abbey.

The speech, and the aftermath, promised to be anything but routine.

Mr. Johnson lost his majority in Parliament in September after expelling 21 Conservative lawmakers . Legislators had seized control of Parliament, fearful that he was on a path to crash Britain out of the European Union without a deal. The nation’s highest court rebuked him for suspending Parliament unlawfully in his drive to pull the country out of the bloc. Another election is likely sooner rather than later.

So members of Parliament are now likely to pounce on the government’s road map and deny him an affirmative vote.

An earlier version of this article misidentified which crown Queen Elizabeth II wore during her speech. It was the Diamond Diadem, not the Imperial State Crown.

How we handle corrections

Megan Specia is a story editor on the International Desk, specializing in digital storytelling and breaking news. More about Megan Specia

Allison McCann is a reporter and graphics editor on the International Desk. She is based in London. More about Allison McCann

General Election 2024: What is purdah as dozens of Bills set to collapse in Parliament?

Rishi Sunak has announced a General Election will take place on July 4 in the UK so now Parliament will be prorogued on Friday, meaning dozens of Bills will collapse

• 18:41, 22 May 2024

Dozens of Bills are set to collapse as Parliament will be prorogued on Friday, it has been announced.

Dissolution will take place on Thursday 30 May, one ahead of the General Election , which Rishi Sunak today confirmed will be held on July 4 . The new Parliament will be summoned to meet on Tuesday 9 July, when the first business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members.

It means the UK is entering the period of purdah, the term used to describe the period between the time an election is announced and the date the election is held. In this case, it is just shy of seven weeks. Civil servants are given official guidance by the Cabinet Office on the rules they must follow in relation to Government business during this time.

During this pre-election period, known as purdah, particular care around sensitivity is taken as government departments and councils will normally observe discretion about making new announcements or decisions that could influence voters.

But following Rishi Sunak’s surprise announcement in the rain outside Downing Street , Labour is 1/10 for a parliamentary majority in what is shaping up to be a resounding return to power for Keir Starmer ’s party.

The Conservative Party is conversely priced at 9/1 to snatch victory in six weeks’ time and 33/1 to replicate its majority win in 2019. The General Election is a chance to change the country for the better and end Tory chaos, Keir Starmer said.

In a speech following Mr Sunak's announcement, the Labour leader said: "Tonight, the Prime Minister has finally announced the next General Election, a moment the country needs and has been waiting for and where, by the force of our democracy, power returns to you.

"A chance to change for the better your future, your community, your country. It will feel like a long campaign, I am sure of that, but no matter what else is said and done, that opportunity for change is what this election is about." He went on: "Together we can stop the chaos, we can turn the page, we can start to rebuild Britain".

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Rishi Sunak’s speech in full as prime minister announces a general election for July

Rishi sunak has called a surprise general election for july 4, article bookmarked.

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Rishi Sunak has called a General Election for July 4, saying it was “the moment for Britain to choose its future”.

The prime minister made the announcement in a televised statement in the pouring rain in Downing Street at 5pm.

It comes after the Tory leader declared inflation was “back to normal” in a “major milestone” for the country after official figures showed inflation slowed to 2.3 per cent in April.

Speculation about an announcement had mounted in Westminster as Cabinet ministers were summoned for an unusually timed meeting throughout the day.

For live updates on the election announcement - follow our blog by clicking here

Here is the prime minister’s speech in full:

“In the last five years our country has fought through the most challenging times since the Second World War.

“As I stand here as your Prime Minister, I can’t help but reflect that my first proper introduction to you was just over four years ago. I stood behind one of the podiums upstairs in the building behind me.

“I told you that we faced a generation-defining moment and that we as a society could not be judged by some Government action, but by the small acts of kindness we showed one another.

“You met that challenge and then some, and I had never been prouder to be British.

“And when I introduced the furlough scheme, I did so not because I just saw a country in desperate need of help, all be it we were, but because I saw a country whose future hung in the balance.

“I could be bold and trust in the tens of millions of you at home that you would rise to the moment, or I could accept the inevitable millions of job losses and pick up the pieces. In truth it was no choice at all.

“I have never and will never leave the people of this country to face the darkest of days alone, and you know that because you’ve seen it.

“As I did then I will forever do everything in my power to provide you with the strongest possible protection I can. That is my promise to you. Because for so many of us, it’s easy to forget the scale of what we’ve been through.

“We were hit by a pandemic that upended normal life. Who would have thought that the government would tell us how many times a day we could leave our homes, then just as we were recovering from Covid, war returned to Europe with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sending your energy bills spiralling.

“I came to office, above all, to restore economic stability. Economic stability is the bedrock of any future success whether that is rising wages or good jobs, investment in our public services, or the defence of the country.

“And because of our collective sacrifice and hard work we have reached two major milestones in delivering that stability, showing that when we work together anything is possible.

“Our economy is now growing faster than anyone predicted, outpacing Germany, France and the US. And this morning it was confirmed that inflation is back to normal, this means that the pressure on prices will ease and mortgage rates will come down. This is proof that the plan and priorities I set out are working.

“I recognise that it has not always been easy. Some of you will just be starting to fill the benefits and for some it might still be hard when you look at your bank balance.

“But this hard-earned economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning, the question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family, and our country?

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future, to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.

“Earlier today I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament. The King has granted this request and we will have a general election on July 4.

“This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War. Putins’s Russia is waging a brutal war on Ukraine and will not stop there if he succeeds.

“That war has also made it all too clear the risk to our energy security in the Middle East the forces of Islamist extremism threaten regional and ultimately global stability. These tensions are exploited by extremists who attempt to undermine our values and divide or society here at home.

“China is looking to dominate the 21st Century by stealing a lead in technology and migration is being weaponised by hostile estates to threaten the integrity of our borders. These uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action to charter a course to a secure future.

“You must choose in this election, who has that plan, who is prepared to take bold action necessary to secure a better future for our country and our children?

“Now, I cannot and will not claim that we have got everything right. No government should, but I am proud of what we have achieved together, the bold actions we have taken and I’m confident about what we can do in the future.

“We tackled inflaton, controlled debt, cut workers’ taxes and increased the state pension by £900. We have reduced taxes in investment and seized the opportunities from Brexit to make this the best country in the world to grow for business, put record amounts of funding into our NHS and ensured it is now training the doctors and nurses it needs in the decades to come.

“We prioritise energy security and your family finances over environmental dogma in our approach to net zero. We fully funded an increase in defence spending to two and a half per cent of GDP.

“We made a decision to invest more in local transport that you actually use rather than endlessly power more money into HS2.

“We set out a comprehensive plan to reform our welfare system to make it fair for those who pay for it, as well as those who need it. Immigration is finally coming down and we are stopping the boats with our Rwanda partnership.

“And we ensure that the next generation grows smoke-free.

“I hope that my work since I became Prime Minister shows that we have a plan and are prepared to take bold action necessary for our country to flourish.

“Now, I have stuck with that plan and always been honest with you about what is needed, even when that’s been difficult, because I’m guided by doing what is right for our country, not what is easy.

“I can’t say the same thing for the Labour Party, because I don’t know what they offer and, in truth, I don’t think you know either.

“And that’s because they have no plan, there is no bold action, and as a result the future can only be uncertain with them.

“On July 5, either Keir Starmer or I will be prime minister.

“He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.

“I have to say, if he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?

“If you don’t have the conviction to stick to anything you say, if you don’t have the courage to tell people what you want to do, and if you don’t have a plan, how can you possibly be trusted to lead our country, especially at this most uncertain of times?

“Over the next few weeks I will fight for every vote, I will earn your trust and I will prove to you that only a Conservative government led by me will not put our hard-earned economic stability and restore pride and confidence in our country, and with a clear plan and bold action, will deliver a secure future for you, your family and our United Kingdom

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Labour leader Keir Starmer is often called dull. But he might be Britain's next prime minister

Critics say British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is dutiful, managerial and a bit dull

LONDON — Dutiful, managerial, a bit dull — Keir Starmer is no one’s idea of a firebrand politician.

The Labour Party hopes that is just what Britain needs. Starmer, the center-left party’s 61-year-old leader, is the current favorite to win the country’s July 4 election .

Starmer has spent four years as opposition leader dragging his social democratic party from the left towards the political middle ground. His message to voters is that a Labour government will bring change — of the reassuring rather than scary kind.

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Thousands protest against contentious Taiwan parliament reforms

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Reporting by Fabian Hamacher, Angie Teo and Ann Wang; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

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