The Spectator

Portrait of the week: King’s Speech, Trump shot and Rouen cathedral in flames

issue 20 July 2024

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The government funnelled three dozen bills into the King’s Speech, highlighting one to make a specific offence of spiking a drink, which is already illegal. But backbenchers and Labour in Scotland failed in efforts to remove the cap of two children for the payment of child benefit. A new state-owned energy company would be set up and railways nationalised. Landlords’ rights to evict tenants would be reduced. Police were to be given more powers against gangs smuggling migrants in small boats. Between 10 and 15 July, 701 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats. With births at 598,393 and deaths at 597,992, the annual natural change in population of England and Wales to mid 2023 was found to be only 401; but with immigration to Britain at 1,084,000 and emigration at 462,000 for the same period, the net population growth was the highest for at least 75 years.

Vaughan Gething resigned as the First Minister of Wales after 118 days; four ministers in the Senedd had resigned and called upon him to do so.

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