From King’s Speech to first budget: What we can expect from the new government’s first 100 days

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “hit the ground running” with a focus on delivery from day one after returning his party to government for the first time in 14 years.

Already he has assembled his cabinet, scrapped the Rwanda scheme, announced mission delivery boards and embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the devolved nations.

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That’s all before parliament has even reconvened, with MPs due to be sworn in from Tuesday to officially kick off the first 100 days of a Labour government.

Here’s a look at what we can expect to happen over the next few months.

9 July – 11 July: Speaker elected and MPs sworn in

MPs have been called to meet on Tuesday 9 July, when new members will be invited to a chamber briefing to learn about the complex and often arcane workings of parliament.

But the most important task of this day will be the election of the Commons Speaker – the person who controls debates, decides who can speak, upholds parliamentary rules and selects amendments to be voted on.

Once the Speaker has been selected the appointment must be approved by the King before they are sworn in.

After that the swearing in process for all members will begin. This is a centuries-old tradition which requires MPs by law to swear an oath of allegiance to the crown before they can take their seat.

9-11 July: NATO summit

Across the pond there will be another important event ongoing – NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington. This will be Sir Keir’s debut as prime minister on the world stage.

He has already held calls with world leaders including US President Joe Biden, who congratulated him on “one hell of a victory”. The summit will be an opportunity for Sir Keir to meet the 81-year-old in person along with other Western leaders, as well as re-affirm the UK’s support for Ukraine.

17 July: The King’s speech

The State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the parliamentary calendar and will take place on 17 July. This is when there will be a King’s Speech, which will set out the government’s policy priorities for the year.

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Labour have spent months preparing the details of this. Big ticket items expected to be on the agenda include legislation to nationalise the railways, the establishment of Great British Energy, an employment rights bill, planning reforms to help build more homes and an increase in NHS appointments.

Labour also want to resurrect policies that were promised by the Conservatives but which they failed to deliver on, such as a ban on no-fault evictions and a ban on young people ever being able to smoke.

18 July: European Political Community Summit

Not long after the NATO summit, Sir Keir will have another opportunity to flex his diplomatic muscles on the world stage – the European Community Summit (EPC).

This will be hosted by the UK at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

It will be the fourth meeting of the forum first proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In hosting it the British government will get to set the agenda, providing a good opportunity for Sir Keir to make his case for closer ties with the EU.

18 July: MPs debate King’s Speech

Back in Westminster MPs will start the process of debating the King’s Speech. This has already been pencilled into the Common’s diary for 18 July, as well as the following week.

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End of July: Summer recess pushed back

Before the election was called, MPs were due to break for the summer recess on 23 July.

Considering this is only six days after the King’s Speech, Sir Keir will likely need more sitting days to have his agenda approved.

Sky News understands that the government will keep the Commons active until the end of July before calling recess, with MPs returning in September.

22 – 25 September: Labour Party conference

Party conference season will kick off as usual in September, with Labour returning to their usual spot in Liverpool from Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 September.

Labour will likely use this to big up their achievements within the first few months in office and set out its longer term vision for the country – with Sir Keir setting his sights on two terms in power to “rebuild Britain” at the last conference.

28 September to 2 October: Tory Party conference

While the mood in Liverpool will likely be exuberant, the same can’t be said for the Conservatives, who will gather in Birmingham from 29 September to 2 October for their first conference in opposition in 14 years.

If a new leader has been chosen by this point then they will have the task of re-setting the narrative following their disastrous election results. But given some Tory MPs are calling for a period of self-reflection before choosing a new boss, it could be that discussions about the future direction of the party are still on going.

September – November: First budget

Budgets are a major fiscal event in any government’s calendar and are usually held twice a year, in the spring and autumn.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she will not set out her plans for the economy without forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, which take 10 weeks to draw up. That means the budget will be delivered in mid-September at the earliest, though Ms Reeves may choose to wait until after party conference season and deliver it in November.

The budget will likely contain further information about Labour’s manifesto pledges, including the plan to add VAT to private school fees, a shake-up of the non-dom tax status and expanding the Windfall tax on energy companies.