Rishi Sunak’s first King’s Speech labelled a ‘damp squib’ by Tory MPs

Labour accused the Conservatives of putting their party before the country and ‘not even pretending to govern anymore’

Rishi Sunak used his first – and possibly only – King’s Speech to outline plans for tougher jail sentences and to ease the environmental “burden” on households, as part of a last-ditch effort to reverse his party’s fortunes.

The speech confirmed plans to see murderers spend life behind bars and for criminals to attend court for sentencing, while also outlining proposals to extend the use of controversial lie detectors by probation officers, a promised smoking ban and a potential new tax on vapes.

But there was little in the way of major surprises in one of the lightest legislative programmes for a decade – with Labour accusing the Conservatives of lacking “proper ambition” and “not even pretending to govern anymore”.