Palace held talks with No 10 over ‘awkward’ King’s speech

Downing Street and Buckingham Palace have discussed how to prevent the leadership crisis currently engulfing Keir Starmer overshadowing the King’s Speech on Wednesday.

King Charles will travel in full pomp and circumstance for the official State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday morning before reading out the government’s legislative agenda for the year, in a centuries’ old tradition.

But a senior civil service source admitted that the crisis swirling around the PM has plunged the monarch’s role into “unchartered territory”. With the leadership still unresolved – casting a doubt over the legislative agenda to be read out – the ceremony “could be very awkward for the King”, the source said.

Shorts – Quick stories

Why driving test booking is set to
change for learners

Changes begin on 12 May to reduce wait times and prevent bots and touts from exploiting the system.

Driving test reforms

What you need to know

• Under new laws, it’ll be illegal for driving instructors or anyone else to book tests for pupils.
• They will not be able to change, swap or cancel a test for someone else either.
• Learners will still need a reference from their instructor.
• Only two changes to a booked slot are allowed; previously, it was up to six.
• From 9 June, tests can only be moved to three locations nearest to where the original test was booked.

Why are there changes?

A backlog of driving tests built up as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 to sell their login credentials to touts.

Slots were being bought up in bulk and offered via social media for up to £500.

The standard cost is £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings and weekends.

OPINION

2 min read

Why experts think health condition PCOS should be renamed

Experts have called for a common women’s health condition to be renamed to reduce delayed diagnosis. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects about one in eight women.

What is PCOS?

• PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work. 
• The three main features of PCOS are irregular periods, excess androgen (high levels of “male” hormones in your body) and polycystic ovaries.
• If you have at least two of these features, you may be diagnosed with PCOS.

Interview

4 min read

What you need to know

Women are facing delays in diagnosis because there is a misunderstanding about cysts and too much focus on the ovaries, experts have warned.

The condition is, in fact, a complex long-term hormonal or endocrine disorder. PCOS should now be referred to as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), doctors say.

LIFESTYLE

4 min read

What the experts say

It is fantastic that the new name now leads with hormones and recognises the metabolic dimension of the condition. This shift will reframe the conversation and demand that it is taken as seriously as the long-term, complex health condition it is.

Rachel Morman, chairwoman of Verity (PCOS UK)

GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC

I got breast cancer at 49 – this is everything I’ve changed about my diet since

Victoria Young

Freelance writer

Helen Makris, a senior marketing and partnerships manager, suffered a series of health battles that prompted her to recalibrate her life – and work out how not to sweat the small stuff.

Read more here.

Blood test could
detect heart disease earlier than ever
before

A scientific breakthrough could allow doctors to start treating patients before their condition becomes life-threatening.

What you need to know

Scientists at the University of Bristol have found a new way to track damage to the blood vessel lining.

• Until now, monitoring the body’s vast network of tiny vessels was virtually impossible.
• The new technique tracks a coating of the vessels called glycocalyx.
• Research shows it is highly sensitive and is the earliest marker of disease.
• A simple blood test could detect damage and help predict heart or kidney disease.

What the experts say

Most excitingly, we can also rapidly detect when drugs are effective at restoring the blood vessel lining.
These findings could transform our ability to spot and treat disease before it progresses to become potentially irreversible or life-threatening

Dr Matthew Butler, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

EXCLUSIVE

The secret deal Rayner’s allies want her to strike to become PM

Caroline Wheeler 

Political Editor

Angela Rayner allies are pushing her to strike a deal with Andy Burnham to let him back into Parliament – but only if she becomes prime minister first. Sources close to the former deputy Labour leader say Rayner does not believe that the hugely popular Greater Manchester Mayor has a “realistic chance” of becoming an MP before a leadership contest is triggered.

Burnham or Rayner?

Allies of Rayner have convinced a number of MPs originally backing Burnham that she is the only candidate from the “soft left” that can replace Sir Keir Starmer if the starting gun on the race for No 10 is fired.

Exclusive

5 min read

Exclusive

3 min read

A closer look at the detail

This is despite the fact that Rayner, who was forced to quit the Cabinet last year, is still being probed by HMRC after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on an £800,000 property in the well-heeled area of Hove, East Sussex.

According to those familiar with Rayner’s thinking, she is not pushing this idea personally, although they acknowledge that MPs are looking at a number of different scenarios depending on how events play out.

Operation Bring Back Burnham

• The PM is facing a perilous few days after Labour was annihilated in the local elections last week.
• Over the weekend, Starmer triggered ridicule amongst Labour MPs when he insisted he planned to govern for a decade.
• It is understood that Rayner as PM would be prepared to let Burnham stand as an MP and return to Parliament – and even stand aside for him if she cannot turn around Labour’s dire poll ratings.

Exclusive

3 min read

Rayner is the only route back for Burnham

A series of embarrassing U-turns and defeats in the House of Commons has severely weakened the Prime Minister’s authority, but he has soldiered on without facing a challenge.

However, Starmer is now facing calls to resign from more than 40 MPs since since Labour lost almost 1,500 council seats in the local elections last week.

How ‘super El Niño’ could make next year hottest on record

Climate scientists have issued
a warning of a warming cycle starting later this year.

Here is everything you need to know.

What is ‘El Niño’?

A natural weather cycle known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation.

It brings sustained warmth across the Pacific Ocean’s surface, releasing more heat into the atmosphere.

OPINION

5 min read

What the experts say

• There is an 82 per cent chance of a ‘very strong’ El Niño this year.
• It will push up temperatures starting in autumn 2026 and into summer 2027.
• It can cause floods, droughts and push up the price of crops such as coffee and sugar.
• Britain could see 40°C temperatures for the first time since 2022.

ENVIRONMENT

3 min read

READ MORE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

I’ve got a heat pump and solar panels – my monthly bills are just £65

Lucie Heath

Environment Correspondent

A homeowner who has invested in solar panels, a heat pump and an electric car to help avoid soaring energy and fuel bills has said he is saving more than £1,000 a year.

Click here to read the full story.

MONEY

The benefits of first-time buyers accessing their pensions early – and the risks

Emily Braeger

Money Reporter

First-time buyers should be allowed to access pension savings early to fund a deposit for a house, according to some policy experts. Supporters say it could help tackle the biggest barrier to buying a home. Critics warn it risks weakening already fragile retirement prospects.

How would it work?

Most proposals would allow younger workers to withdraw part of their defined contribution pension pot to fund a deposit, usually with limits on how much could be accessed or restrictions to first-time buyers only.

It comes after the Tony Blair Institute last week proposed replacing the state pension with a more flexible “Lifespan Fund”.

SAVING AND BANKING

4 min read

Who broke Britain?

5 min read

Could it help with deposits?

Supporters of the reform say the policy should be judged against the reality facing first-time buyers. Sir Steve Webb, former pensions minister, said allowing people to access their pensions to fund deposits could help them avoid renting in retirement.

He said: “If it helps ensure people are not renters in retirement, then early access to pension pots could still be a good overall strategy for retirement. The risk, as always, is that this approach could stoke up house price inflation.”

What are the downsides?

• Several experts argue that early access would do little for those most locked out of home ownership.
• Zoe Alexander, executive director of policy and advocacy at Pensions UK, said the policy may sound appealing but risks creating new problems.
• She argued that for many younger and lower-income savers, pension pots are still too small to make a meaningful dent in a deposit.

Exclusive

3 min read

health & wellbeing

How listening to music and visiting museums can slow ageing

Enjoying the arts could be as important as exercise in slowing ageing, a study suggests.

Academics said their study provides evidence that arts and cultural engagement should be “recognised as a health-promoting behaviour in a similar way to exercise”.

What you need to know

Engaging with the arts at least once a week

4%

How much slower people aged compared to those who rarely engaged.

This is the same as those who exercise once a week.

One year

Researchers found that people who engaged in arts at least weekly were a year younger on average compared with those who rarely engaged.

Activities seen to be useful include reading, listening to music or visiting a gallery or museum.

What the experts say

This builds on a growing body of evidence about the health impact of the arts, with arts activities being shown to reduce stress, lower inflammation and improve cardiovascular disease risk, just as exercise is known to do

Senior author Dr Feifei Bu

go deeper on AGEING

Six lessons on living to 100 from Sir David Attenborough

Kasia Delgado

Chief features writer

For all the inspiring insight into nature that Sir David Attenborough has given us during his extraordinary life, he has also shown us how to age well. Even now, long past retirement age, he has no interest in retreating from the world.

Read the full story here.

What is causing damp? And how to fix it

In addition to being generally unpleasant, living in a damp property can lead to structural and health issues if left unaddressed for long periods of time.

Read on to find out the industry expert advice on how to cut the risk of damp forming in your home…

Start with your windows

Don’t keep them closed.

Regularly opening windows – even on cold days – can improve the ventilation inside and decrease the humidity of the room.

Also wipe away the condensation that has formed overnight with a microfiber cloth to remove the dampness.

Big Read

8 min read

How to reduce the risk of damp

Dry clothes in the bathroom

Avoid drying clothes in bedrooms or living rooms without airflow.

Avoid curtains over radiators

It can trap heat behind the fabric, reduce room warmth and cause condensation on windows.

Nudge your furniture

Large furniture items placed tightly against cold walls can trap condensation, leading to mould over time.

It could be the age of your home

Close to 90 per cent of UK homes with solid external walls lack insulation, making them vulnerable.

The airtight design of some new builds helps with energy efficiency but can trap moisture if ventilation isn’t properly managed, says Chad Bragg, chief technical officer at insulation company SuperFOIL.

How to reduce the risk of damp

Clear clothes out

Clothing that is packed too tightly in a wardrobe traps humidity, especially if it is slightly damp.

Heat strategically

If the heating in your home is reduced in temperature by just two degrees, humidity levels will increase by 10 per cent.

Keep lids on pans

While cooking it avoids releasing moisture into the air. A good cooker hood is most effective.

Planning for an extension?

Pay attention to insulation

Poor insulation creates ‘thermal bridges,’ or cold spots, where the new structure joins the old house. These cold junctions act as magnets for condensation, causing localised mould, heat loss, and discomfort. 

LIFESTYLE

4 min read

The Government’s policies are expected to include closer ties with the EU, powers to nationalise of British Steel and an enhancement of the apprenticeship scheme for young people as well as special education needs reform, as outlined by the Prime Minister in his ‘make-or-break’ speech on Monday.

Full details will be released later tonight.

Leadership issues raised with the ‘Golden Triangle’

Fears that the King could be dragged into questions over the Prime Minister’s future have been fuelled in Whitehall over the timing of the King’s Speech on Wednesday, coming in the wake of several ministerial resignations and more than 100 MPs urging him to step down.

With Starmer refusing to heed calls from Cabinet critics to set a timetable for his departure, it is unlikely that the PM will resign before the traditional ceremony takes place.

The source said there had been discussions within the Cabinet Office about where the leadership crisis leaves the Government constitutionally.

And The i Paper understands it has been raised within the so-called “Golden Triangle” – the trio of senior aides to the King and Prime Minister which is the main vehicle for talks between the government and Palace.

The civil service source said: “There have been exchanges – on both sides – about the King’s Speech and where this leaves us constitutionally.

“This is unchartered territory and could be very awkward for the King given how quickly things seem to be moving. This is exactly the kind of thing the civil service [and the Golden Triangle] should be and would be preparing for.”

The Golden Triangle consists of the King’s private secretary, Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo and the PM’s principal private secretary.

The trio normally have regular discussions to keep channels open between Downing Street and the Palace.

Monarch needs to be protected

A separate Whitehall source said there had been discussions among officials to consider any procedural issues that could arise if the PM was forced to resign before the State Opening, but the view was because it was the government’s speech, not the Prime Minister’s, it would be able to proceed as planned.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment. A No 10 source said they were “not aware” that there had been discussions about the tone of the speech.

But Politico reported that the Palace privately asked whether the King should proceed as planned with the State Opening on Wednesday.

Citing people familiar with the matter, it said a senior aide to the monarch asked top government officials, including Romeo, whether the state occasion should go ahead.

The King’s team made clear in conversation with the PM’s officials of the importance of protecting the monarch from any impression he is being used for political ends, Politico reported.

However The i Paper understands that at no point did anyone ever suggest that the State Opening might not go ahead.

A constitutional insider said the Golden Triangle holds talks all the time and the issue of Starmer’s leadership is likely to have been raised to avoid any awkwardness for the King.

Speech written on vellum

The King’s Speech itself is still written on vellum – or goatskin – and has to be finalised the week before the State Opening to allow the ink to dry, meaning no changes could have been made to the speech itself since last week, before the local and devolved elections triggered a crisis for Starmer.

The insider said Palace officials will have pored over the original draft of the speech from No10 anyway, to ensure that the King does not have to say anything too slogan-heavy or political.

This means that the speech – which will set out the government’s legislative agenda – will already be fairly neutral in tone.

However the leadership row throws a question mark over that agenda and whether it will be torn up if a new prime minister is in place within weeks.

The constitutional insider said the Golden Triangle would be “keeping abreast of the leadership issue” but added that the “Palace will be very good at keeping the King clear of this”.