King's Speech date 'locked in' for May 13

Two of these sources described the timing as now being "locked in," though last-minute alterations remain possible.

During the state opening of parliament, the monarch will present a list of proposed bills on behalf of Keir Starmer's administration.

The BBC had earlier indicated that either May 12 or 13 was under consideration for the address.

This scheduling positions the speech just six days after the local elections on May 7.

Parliamentary votes following the King's Speech traditionally function as a confidence measure in the sitting Government.

Government sources indicate that Parliament will be prorogued during the week of April 27, bringing to a close a continuous session that has spanned nearly two years under Keir Starmer's leadership.

April 29 is the preferred target date for this suspension, according to sources briefed on the discussions.

However, two sources suggested prorogation could potentially be pushed back to May 5 as ministers work to guide remaining legislation through the House of Lords.

The Pension Schemes Bill represents one of the primary obstacles to a smooth prorogation, with the House of Lords having handed the government multiple defeats on the legislation.

Meanwhile, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, designed to establish a "duty of candour" for public bodies, is already anticipated to carry over into the next parliamentary session.

Negotiations between Government ministers and campaigners continue regarding how the bill's provisions will extend to the security services.

These legislative hurdles explain why the prorogation timetable remains somewhat fluid, with the government needing to balance its desire to conclude the current session against the practical challenges of securing House of Lords approval for contested measures.

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