'Archaic' Westminster called out ahead of King's Speech

King Charles will visit the House of Lords this morning to read out the Government's policy plans for the upcoming session – but the "ostentatious" appearance will do nothing to help struggling families, the Scottish Greens said.

Meanwhile, the party blasted the Conservatives for their "obsession" with fossil fuels and lack of action over the cost of living.

The planned legislation will require the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) to issue invites every year in a bid to increase domestic production and wean the UK off foreign fuels.

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has, however, said that the plan may not necessarily bring down household bills.

Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: “Rishi Sunak’s deadly climate climbdown is setting our future generations up for climate catastrophe. We know what action needs to be taken to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the simple scientific fact is that new oil and gas licences are a disaster for our planet's future.

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“The climate vandalism in Westminster is a sharp contrast to the bold action that we are taking here in Scotland. We need urgent action now, and all he is doing is making that harder and harder to achieve.

“With Scottish Greens in Government we have already invested more than £30 million on nature restoration, secured record funding for active travel and began efforts to implement a carbon land tax and cruise ship levy.

“The outrageous display of royal pomp and ostentation at the state opening of parliament is in sharp contrast with the harsh cost of living crisis for most households across the UK.

“From the two-child cap and rape clause to allowing unlimited bankers bonuses, it is clear that the Tories care nothing for those who are struggling.

“Meanwhile here in Scotland more than 90,000 children are being lifted out of poverty by the Scottish Government."

Sunak has also been urged  by the SNP to hand over key powers on the cost of living to the Scottish Parliament.

The party has insisted Westminster are “pushing Scots into poverty”, adding that the country must have full powers over energy and the economy so it can take comprehensive action. 

They have added Sunak should be focusing on the soaring food and mortgage costs rather than “taking tents away from homeless people”.

It comes after Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was proposing new laws to restrict the use of tents by homeless people, arguing many of them see it as a “lifestyle choice”.

The party has called for immediate UK Government action to help families, including delivering a £400 energy bill rebate, introducing mortgage interest tax relief and taking action to tackle rocketing food prices.

Drew Hendry, the SNP’s economy spokesperson, said: “As millions of families across Scotland see their incomes hammered by the Westminster-made cost of living crisis, it beggars belief that the biggest Tory policy announcement ahead of the King's Speech is taking tents away from homeless people.
 
"Families are suffering as a result of UK Government incompetence, but all the Tories have to offer is more attacks on the most vulnerable instead of real help for the majority of families who are seeing their mortgages, rent, energy bills and cost of living soar through the roof.

"With neither Sunak or Starmer willing to offer any real help for families, and both Westminster parties ruling out support for SNP calls for a £400 energy bill rebate, mortgage interest tax relief, and action on food prices - it's clear no change is possible under Westminster control.

The SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, said: "Scotland needs full powers over energy, employment and the economy so we can take action where Westminster has comprehensively failed - and offer people in Scotland a wealthier and fairer future.

"Independent European nations such as Ireland, Denmark and Sweden are wealthier and fairer than the UK - so the question has to be, why not Scotland?

"The SNP is supporting families by freezing council tax and delivering policies like the Scottish Child Payment - but the Tories have left families in the lurch."

The King’s Speech forms part of the State Opening of Parliament and will set out the UK Government’s priorities for the coming session. It is likely to be the final one before the next General Election.

The Government is, however, is not required to introduce all the legislation it proposes, nor is it limited to what appears in it.

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Meanwhile, the Alba Party have used the eve of the King’s Speech to call for Scotland to become an independent republic, a position they say has the support of the majority of Scots.

Polling released last year by the party showed 55% want to see Scotland have an elected head of state, while only 45% said they wanted to keep a monarch.

Party bosses have said the monarchy is “becoming so far removed from reality” that is “not recognisable” to the people of Scotland.

Alba MP Neale Hanvey said: “In keeping with Scottish constitutional tradition, the Alba Party adhere to the principle that it is the people that are sovereign. Our position is that Scotland should now move to an elected head of state with similar powers to the Uachtarán na hÉireann [president of Ireland].

“Alba firmly stands for Scotland and our priority is to ensure the people of Scotland have the freedom to make this choice soon, as an independent country.

“At a time that we are faced with millions of our people in Scotland facing fuel poverty, when we are an energy rich land, the very thought of a King sitting wearing a crown telling the people to eat cake is absurd.

“The institution of monarchy could not be further detached from the reality of everyday life for the people of Scotland.”