King's Speech 2026: 37 Bills Unveiled Including Digital ID, NHS Reform, and EU Alignment

King Charles III opened the new Parliamentary session on 13 May 2026 with a King's Speech setting out 37 proposed bills — the Starmer government's legislative programme for the coming year. Key measures included: a Digital Access to Services Bill (creating a national digital ID system); an NHS Modernisation Bill; legislation enabling dynamic alignment with EU rules in food standards, emissions trading, and electricity markets — a central plank of the ongoing UK-EU reset negotiations — and a Representation of the People Bill to lower the voting age to 16 for all UK elections. However, the occasion was overshadowed by the ongoing Labour leadership crisis: resignation calls, split Cabinet reports, and the political drama surrounding the Prime Minister's future dominated media coverage, reducing what should have been a flagship policy day to a sideshow. Al Jazeera noted that Starmer faced a 'political challenge' that threatened to swamp the legislative agenda.