King's Speech to take place days after key May elections

King Charles III will visit Parliament on 13 May to announce the government's next programme of legislation by delivering the King's Speech. Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell said the government wants to "build on" changes made by more than 50 bills passed since the current parliamentary session began in July 2024 after the general election. The ceremonial state opening of Parliament to mark the start of the new session takes place just days after elections in England, Scotland and Wales on 7 May. Labour is braced for difficult results at the polls, which many Labour MPs believe could trigger a challenge to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. A government source told the BBC in December that it would be "much harder for somebody to challenge the PM and say we need to go in a different direction when the King is about to come to parliament to announce what we're doing for the next year". But it is not unusual for the state opening to take place in May or shortly after local elections. No date has been given for the prorogation of Parliament, which will mark the end of the current parliamentary session. Bills which do not complete all the required stages in the Commons and L