Overview
- The King’s Speech, confirmed Thursday for May 13, will be followed by votes that are treated as a confidence test in the government.
- The date falls six days after the May 7 local elections, positioning the agenda-setting event immediately after councils and devolved votes.
- Parliament will be prorogued before the speech, with government sources pointing to the week of April 27 and possible dates of April 29 or May 5, which would end the session and force any unfinished bills to restart unless carried over.
- Ministers say the session since July 2024 has delivered more than 50 bills, yet the House of Lords has slowed plans, including defeats to the Pension Schemes Bill that keep the timetable fluid.
- The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill remains stuck in the Lords and could fall before prorogation, and its sponsor has suggested turning to a rare procedure if peers continue to block progress.