The King’s Speech in 2023 – the first led by King Charles – did not present solutions to the cost of inequality crisis we face, or to the long-standing structural inequalities in our society. Our Co-Executive Directors, Priya Sahni-Nicholas and Jo Wittams had this to say:
“This King’s Speech was deliberately divisive and extractive. It was a political choice to use this speech to threaten further crackdowns on unions, force new oil drilling, and protect the powerful. We are facing an entrenched cost of inequality crisis that is hurting all of us every day, and instead of addressing it, this speech will exacerbate the problems and leave us a weaker, more unequal, and more divided country.”
– Priya Sahni-Nicholas, Co-Executive Director
“What we needed in this King’s Speech was very clear. We need action on the cost of inequality crisis that has left millions struggling to afford essentials and the UN condemning our poverty levels as breaking international law. We need reform to our unequal economy that consistently rewards the already affluent while hurting the rest of us. We need mechanisms in place that give people real power over our lives. These measures are all popular and evidence-based in building a more equal society that works better for everyone.”
– Jo Wittams, Co-Executive Director
What should be done instead?
- Our Billionaire Britain report lays out how we’ve structurually encouraged billionaires to profit and what can be done instead.
- Read about how essential unions are and how our electoral system encourages unequal power and wealth
- Our manifestos for a fairer society