This House of Lords Library briefing gives a brief overview of the ceremony for the 2017 State Opening of Parliament and how it differs from previous years.
State Openings of Parliament: Reduced Ceremonial (527 KB , PDF)
It has been announced that the State Opening which will take place on 21 June 2017 will be conducted on the following basis:
This briefing gives an outline of the traditional State Opening Ceremony, followed by a description of the State Openings of 1939 and March 1974, setting out how the ceremonies in these years differed from the norm.
State Openings of Parliament: Reduced Ceremonial (527 KB , PDF)
In January 2025 the House of Lords Constitution Committee published a report on the responsibility of the government (the executive) to oversee the constitution. It concluded that the UK’s constitutional arrangements would benefit from several improved safeguards, such as the appointment of a senior minister to advise on constitutional matters and for advisory bodies to be put on a statutory footing.
The government has committed to reducing and reclaiming public money lost to fraud and error. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill contains provisions to extend Cabinet Office and Public Sector Fraud Authority powers to tackle fraud and error outside the tax and benefits system, and also expands powers to tackle fraud within the benefits system. The bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 15 May 2025.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
