COMMENT
A tale of two speeches
A
s first things go, it was a reasonable effort, but was probably more of a ‘holding’ statement than something that is going to change the world.
The 2023 King’s Speech, delivered at the State Opening of Parliament on November 7th, was the first King’s Speech since 1950, when King George lV presided over the State Opening. It wasn’t, as it happens, Charles’ first; as Prince of Wales, he performed the task in 2022, just four months before the late Queen died.
It was also this Prime Minister’s first King’s Speech. Quite possibly his last, depending on the outcome of the next General Election. The words may be read by the King, but they are very definitely those of the Prime Minister, and the government. The monarch has no say in the policy that they are announcing.
The King has long been an advocate for environmental issues; when you’ve spent most of your life publicly warning about the dangers of climate change, having to formally announce the pledge to grant new North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses every year must have stuck in the craw somewhat.
This year’s speech could be divided into three main aims, “strengthening society,” “growing the economy” and “keeping people safe.” So far, so what you might expect. That’s pretty much what you require from your government, no matter what hue their politics are.
A far better, more interesting, erudite speech, on the other hand, was that given to the attendees at the Construction Products Association’s Autumn Lunch by Lord Gavin Barwell.
Having been Teresa May’s Chief of Staff, Lord Barwell knows first hand what it’s like to operate at the heart of government. He was also, briefly, housing minister, though I can’t recall anything that he actually achieved. But then housing is one
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of those hop-on, hop-off buses, which ministers use to get them further along their political journey.
The first, and least surprising thing Lord Barwell said was that by and large, politicians don’t understand construction, nor, indeed, the world of business particularly well. Business, he said, wants stability from government, to know what policies are going to be, so that they can make rational, long-term decisions and investments. Governments, on the other hand, are driven by what new announcements they can make that will be guaranteed to be picked up by the Today programme on Radio 4 at 8am. Sometimes those aims match up, more usually though, they don’t. I haven’t got the space to go through Lord Barwell’s whole speech here, for which he will no doubt be very thankful, but he did say , not that surprisingly, that the outlook for the next year or so is going to be challenging, both economically and politically, with a general election in the offing. We know that, we can tell from the order books, from the CPA Forecasts, from the Construction PMI surveys, and, of course, from talking to each other. He also said that Liz Truss was right - which got a big laugh - in the sense that the major thing that ails the UK economy is its lack of growth, and that that is something that has been apparent ever since the global financial crisis.
Lord Barwell touched on the timing of the next general election, the chances of outright wins by any party, and the real chances of things getting better, politically and econmically. It was a great speech, and it got me, politics geek that I am, thinking that it’s a shame that polticians are so much more interesting when they have stopped being politicians. BMJ
Fiona Russell-Horne Group Managing Editor - BMJ
“
I want that glib and oily art
To speak and purpose not;
Since what I well intend, I’ll do’t before I speak.
Willaim Shakespeare ”
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November 2023
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