The King’s Speech is where the Government sets out the laws it wants to pass in the year ahead. Although the King reads the speech, it is written by the Government as a way for them to say what they think matters most and what they plan to do next.
The King’s Speech and the new parliamentary session cover many different issues, but our response focuses only on the ones where we have a policy position or active campaign.
For Humanists UK, the key question is whether the plans will help build a society where people can live freely, equally, and with dignity. On that test, this King’s Speech made some progress, but left some big issues out.
Change coming to be celebrated
The King’s Speech included a commitment from the Government to support our pluralistic society. The King said the Government:
‘Will defend the British values of decency, tolerance and respect for difference under our common flag, and they will harness the potential of the pride felt across this country for its communities. My government will take urgent action to tackle antisemitism and ensure all communities feel safe.’
We recently condemned rising antisemitism and called for solidarity with British Jews in light of a spate of attacks.
We also welcome measures to be announced to support women’s participation in society. Humanists have always stood up for the equal rights of women, including their right to complete autonomy and control over their own bodies. The King said:
‘My ministers will champion the right of women and girls to live in a world free from violence, this will include promoting women’s full economic and political participation in society, including more agency over decisions that impact their lives.’
We work wherever possible to give moral and practical support to significant initiatives to meet today’s global challenges, such as climate change, poverty, and humane treatment for refugees, and to promote a culture of respect for human rights. We welcomed a dedication to these issues in the King’s Speech:
‘My government will remain a leading advocate for tackling climate change and achieving a world free from poverty. The United Kingdom will also take action to reduce humanitarian need and conflict around the world.’
A draft bill to tackle conversion practices
The Government again announced it will introduce a draft Bill to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’, which will be consulted upon. This is welcome after several years of Government promises to do so.
Conversion therapy means attempts to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It is harmful, degrading, and based on the false idea that LGBT people need to be ‘fixed’. A society based on equality and human dignity should protect people from these practices, and we are glad to see that Britain is catching up with the rest of the world on this issue. We’ve been alarmed by the surge in funding to promote anti-LGBT conversion practices.
What was missing?
Assisted dying
There was no mention of assisted dying. This is despite Parliament having already spent a great deal of time debating the issue, and despite MPs voting in favour of a safeguarded change in the law.
The Assisted Dying Bill was then blocked in the House of Lords, where a small number of peers used repeated speeches and amendments to stop the Bill from passing, without even a vote.
For humanists, this is deeply disappointing. People who are terminally ill, mentally competent, and suffering should have the right to make their own choices at the end of life, with strong safeguards in place. This is about compassion, dignity, and personal freedom.
Marriage reform – Humanists should be on equal footing
Marriage reform was not mentioned either. In October last year, the Government announced it will legally recognise humanist marriages as part of a wholesale review. However, the Government will consult on its proposals in 2026 before introducing legislation to reform marriage law when ‘parliamentary time allows’.
This means that humanist couples in England and Wales will continue to wait to have a wedding that reflects their own beliefs and values, led by a humanist celebrant. But this doesn’t need to go through a Bill, the Government has had the power to grant legal recognition via Order since the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, but it has yet to do so. We call on the Government to lay the Order, even in the interim, while it considers wider marriage reform.
Religious couples already have this right. Non-religious couples should be treated equally.
Lords reform – Remove automatic rights for bishops to sit in the Lords
There was no mention of reforming the House of Lords, despite it being in the Labour manifesto.
The UK Parliament automatically awards 26 seats in the House of Lords to bishops of the Church of England. These bishops are able to (and do) vote on legislation, make interventions, and lead prayers at the start of each day’s business.
This is an extremely unusual and anti-democratic set-up, which has a negative influence on the quality and character of British politics. The only two sovereign states in the world to award clerics of the established religion votes in their legislatures are the UK and the Islamic Republic of Iran (a totalitarian theocracy).
Bills we are worried about
Immigration and Asylum Bill
The speech mentioned that ‘legislation will be introduced to increase confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems’ through a new Immigration and Asylum Bill.
We’ve previously raised concern about asylum proposals, saying that any changes to the asylum system must be fair, humane, and respect human rights.
We will be watching closely to make sure the Bill does not make life harder for refugees, weaken human rights protections, or treat vulnerable people as a political problem rather than as human beings.
Opportunities ahead
Even though these issues were missing from the King’s Speech, there will still be chances to raise humanist concerns in Parliament.
Education:
The last session showed progress is possible. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act introduced important measures to shut down illegal schools. But the plans also open the door for more religious selection in schools proven to worsen socio-economic and racial segregation.
In the King’s speech, the Government made further commitments around children and education:
‘My government believes that the United Kingdom should be a country fair for all and a place where every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations. My ministers believe that every child deserves the chance to succeed to the best of his or her ability and not be held back due to poverty, special educational needs, or a lack of respect for vocational education.’
Outside of this new legislation, called the Education for All Bill, we hope to see plans for a reformed Religious Education inclusive of humanism to be placed on the national curriculum, which we will respond to when published.
What next?
In the year ahead, Humanists UK will continue to campaign for laws based on reason, compassion, equality, and human rights.
That means action on assisted dying, a comprehensive ban on conversion practices, legal recognition of humanist marriages, reform of the House of Lords, inclusive education, and a fair and human-rights focused asylum system.
The King’s Speech is not just a list of proposed laws. It tells us what the Government is choosing to prioritise. Humanists will keep making the case for a country where everyone can live by their own values, free from harm, and with equal dignity under the law.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘Today’s King’s Speech contains some welcome commitments on equality and tackling conversion practices, but it also leaves major questions unanswered. A truly free and fair society must give people dignity at the end of life, equal recognition for humanist marriages, inclusive education, and a Parliament that reflects democratic values rather than religious privilege. We will keep pressing the Government to turn warm words about tolerance and respect into real change.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Head of Press and Campaign Communications Nathan Stilwell at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959 (media only).
Read more about our humanist reflections on the parliamentary session.
Read the King’s Speech 2026.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.