Inside Politics: King attends parliament

Hello there, I’m Matt Mathers and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

King Charles III today visits parliament for the first time as monarch, where he will respond to messages of condolence from MPs and peers from 10am. Elsewhere, former heads of the civil service have criticised new prime minister Liz Truss’s sacking of a top Treasury official.

Parliament is not sitting.

MPs and peers will later this morning pay tribute and express their condolences to the new King when he meets both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall for the first time as sovereign. Over the weekend, senior members swore on oath to Charles III and several hundred are expected to filter into the oldest building on the estate to pay their respects, with the proceedings broadcast live on TV.

The King and Queen Consort will then travel north to Edinburgh and visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the monarch will inspect the guard of honour. The King will then attend a prayer and reflection service for his mother’s life at St Giles’s Cathedral, as the procession continues. Tens of thousands of mourners lined roads across Scotland to watch the Queen’s coffin being carried to Edinburgh after the late monarch left Balmoral for the final time on Sunday. And members of the public planning to pay their respects in London – where the Queen will lie in state from Wednesday – have been warned to expect exceptionally long waits.

Over the weekend it was confirmed that new prime minister Liz Truss would join the King on his tour of the UK nations. Following today’s visit to Scotland, they will travel to Northern Ireland on Tuesday and then Wales on Friday. Truss will support the King by joining him at “services of reflection” around the country during the 10-day mourning period, Downing Street said. The PM’s official spokesperson said it was not a formal or constitutional role, but had been agreed by No 10 and Buckingham Palace.

The King will also attend the Scottish parliament today for the first time as monarch. Members will gather at Holyrood to consider a motion of condolence following the death of Elizabeth II on Thursday. Presiding officer Alison Johnstone will welcome the King and Queen to the chamber, before inviting each of the party leaders to speak on the motion. MSPs across the parliament will then have the opportunity to reflect on the former Queen’s life as well as her close and enduring bond with Scotland.

It has been confirmed that a state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday 19 September. The Queen’s body will be brought down from Scotland to lie in state in Westminster Hall for “four clear days”, from 14 September until 6.30am on the morning of the funeral, to allow the public to pay their respects. On Saturday the King declared the date of the state funeral to be a bank holiday across the UK.

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As you would expect, normal political business remains suspended as the nation mourns the late Queen, although there is a little bit of news around in the form of reaction to some of Truss’s first moves in office: her intervention on energy bills and the sacking of a senior Treasury civil servant.

Charities and campaigners have warned that the poorest will still struggle to pay despite gas and electric bills being frozen at around £2,500. A new report by the Institute for Government think tank warns that the energy crisis could be even worse next year without an insulation programme to fix Britain’s leaky homes.

Former heads of the Civil Service, meanwhile, have sharply criticised Truss for sacking her top Treasury official immediately after becoming prime minister. Lord O’Donnell said that the prime minister’s removal of Sir Tom Scholar as permanent secretary was “no way to earn the respect of the Treasury and the civil service”.

And Lord Butler – who served under Margaret Thatcher, Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair – said Truss had behaved “improperly” and warned the actions of the new administration could “corrupt” the system.

Lord O’Donnell, former head of the Civil Service, when asked if he had concerns over the sacking of Treasury official Sir Tom Scholar.

“I most certainly do, yes.”

Jim Pickard, Financial Times chief politics correspondent, on reports Truss will join the King on his first national tour.

“Steer from Labour party is the prime minister would always accompany the new King on his first national tour so they’re relaxed about Truss joining Charles III, it will also feature some Labour representatives eg @AnasSarwar in Scotland.”

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