What do YOU think of the King's Speech? MailOnline gauges reaction of the nation after Keir Starmer unveils divisive policies on smoking and conversion therapy
Labour's first King's speech in 14 years was a historic moment for the party as Keir Starmer boasted he will be bringing in a 'new era' for the country.
With around 40 bills being announced including a major overhaul of the UK planning system, the renationalization of Britain's railways and the introduction a centralised GB Energy body, there was plenty for the nation to ponder over.
But the Prime Minister's new policies on smoking and conversion therapy seem to be the most divisive among the public.
Some believe the plan to introduce an age limit for buying cigarettes couldn't come soon enough, while others think it is unlikely to work and will cause a black market for underage smokers.
The ban on conversion therapy for gay and transgender people however was more well received, with people arguing the practice has no place in modern day society.
Keir Starmer speaks during a debate in the House of Commons after the opening of Parliament
King Charles sat alongside Queen Camilla delivering the King's speech at the State Opening of Parliament
Jason Lee, 53, a former graveyard digger, is a lifelong Leicester local. He said: 'Too many people, young people, are still smoking. I never did, all my friends smoked, but I never did. I support that.
'Vaping and everything I don't support that either.
'A lot of children were suffering with chest problems, restrictive breathing, stuff like that. It's not a good thing.
'I think this a great thing, absolutely.'
On the conversion therapy ban, he said: 'Conversion therapy, they're treating it as an illness or a disability.
'When you are born gay or lesbian it's a natural thing, but they're treating it like it's a disease.
'They somehow magic you, Christian's or whatever, they can somehow get it out of you. It's wrong.
'It's the 21st Century. I mean in today's world nothing surprises me.'
Andrew Davies, 44, lives in New York but is originally from Leicester and was showing his son the city.
Jason Lee, 53, a former graveyard digger, who is a lifelong Leicester local
Andrew Davies, 44, lives in New York but is originally from Leicester and was showing his son the city
Dad-of-two Andrew, who works as a researcher at a law school, said on the smoking ban bill: 'I couldn't be more pleased.
'I'm 44-years-old and was in my 20s the smoking ban in public places came in. I think it improved life a lot.
'This is a hardcore behaviour that I'm glad to say is decreased by those measures.
'Having a ban on people being able to purchase things through increasing ages is fine by me. I think the lives of others has been improved by following those rules.
'I don't mind people having the choice to do what they want with their own body.
'I have no problem with them being less accessible.'
On conversion therapy, Andrew said: 'That couldn't happen too soon as far as I'm concerned.
'Conversion therapy, as far as I can tell, does a lot of harm to people who are subjected to it and I think it has no place in civilised society.
'I'd be delighted to think that as a society we are becoming more and more open to people of different gender experiences living among us and don't find any need to feel like those people are sick and need treatment, because they don't.
'I've been living in the United States myself for a long time and these things are still in places in some places near us. Do I think it's barbaric? Yes I certainly do.'
Fine art student Jack Livingstone, 22, said: 'I think we have certain evidence to say that cigarette smoke, not necessarily nicotine, is a carcinogenic, it's going to cause cancer and it's something we should have banned a long time ago.
'It makes sense. I don't there's enough evidence, enough research done into things (vapes), I think they're too new.'
Fine art student Jack Livingstone, 22, said of the smoking ban: 'It makes sense. I don't there's enough evidence, enough research done into things (vapes), I think they're too new.'
On conversion therapy, Jack said: 'It's kind of a shame that it's not already banned. It's similar with cigarettes where it causes more harm than good.
'I don't think you can actually repress sexuality, it's not something you can learn out.
'As a country, we're quite an early adopter to gay marriage but then I think ever since then we've seen an increase of, as people have got more accepting, people are quite the opposite and a lot less bigoted than they used to be.'
Ann Matthews, 72, had travelled to the city with her husband Brian, 71, via their canal boat.
On the new cigarette bill Ann, a former university academic, said: 'Well I think it's a good thing but I'm not certain how it's possible to actually implement it.
'People thought it was bad when they stopped being able to smoke in restaurants, people thought various other things about smoking were bad.
'Basically, a lot of people no longer smoke. We're becoming a smoke-free country. I think it's worth a try, if it works.
'Vapes look like a safe-alternative, but people are finding increasingly that they're not.
'I think anything addictive is a bad thing and if it's easy for children to access it, it's a bad thing.
'My parents both died from smoking related illnesses, it's a horrible thing.'
On conversion therapy, Ann said: 'Absolutely in agreement with banning it. I think people should be allowed to grow up as they are.
Ann Matthews, 72, had travelled to the city with her husband Brian, 71, via their canal boat
'You're forcing people to deny what they deem to be true about themselves, it's basically wrong.
'I think it's a good bill to ban that type of thing. I'm in favour of banning it.'
Sheena Komisarcsuk, 44, works in social care. The mother-of-one said: 'It's definitely a good idea. It should have been banned a long time ago. It's not good for the health, they need to really get the smoking numbers down.
'Loads of children I see are getting vapes and really not helping them with their growing, their development stage because they're doing it at an early stage in life, so it will just cause them harm in life later on.'
On the conversion therapy bill, she added: 'Yeah definitely (should be banned).
'People should have their own right to their choice if they want that and we shouldn't force people into anything.'
Residents of Middlesbrough have slammed Labour's plans to ban smoking after it was announced during the King's Speech today.
Science teacher Louise Driffield is a smoker but thinks the law will create more problems in Britain.
The 40-year-old said: 'It's not going to work in my opinion. They should concentrate on educating young people about the dangers of smoking.
'There's a lot of information out there nowadays but they still should have a choice.
Sheena Komisarcsuk, 44, works in social care. The mother-of-one said of the conversion therapy ban: 'It's definitely a good idea. It should have been banned a long time ago.
'I'm addicted but there wasn't as much information around when I was younger and you didn't think much about it.
'As soon as you take something away and say you can't have it, then it becomes more desirable.
'There will be illegal fag houses on council estates where people are still doing it.
'I think it's the same for cannabis. If they legalised that then we wouldn't have the same problems we have with it in our society now.'
Louise did however agree with other aspects of the announcement.
'The conversion therapy should definitely be banned though,' she added.
'You're born how you're born and it's not a choice who you have feelings for and the things you like.
'Younger people should be encouraged to feel how they feel, not to change who they are.'
Patricia James, 70, a retired nurse, also slammed the smoking bill but agreed with Sir Kier Starmer on other points.
She said: 'I'm surprised about the smoking one and I think it's ridiculous.
'Smoking will go underground and there will be cigarette sellers on the black market and the kids will be smoking god knows what.
'We should be forgetting about this law coming. I don't think it's going to work.
'Who's going to police it? I can't see society becoming smoke free.
Patricia James, 70, a retired nurse, slammed the smoking bill but agreed with Sir Kier Starmer on other points
Sheena and Patricia both agreed that the smoking ban was not going to work
'I agree with other parts of the speech like having more community police on the streets.
'But they should be given more powers and authority to enforce the law.'
Catherine Calvert, another retired nurse, thinks the smoking legislation is nonsense.
The 75-year-old said: 'I think the smoking ban is awful and a ridiculous idea.
'Sunak lost the plot when he originally came up with the idea and now Labour are carrying it on.
'Fair enough, stop kids from doing it but if adults want to smoke they should be able to
'Of course they shouldn't smoke where people are eating but everyone has a right to do it if they want to.
'I do like other parts of the speech though. It will be better to have the railway and bus services nationalised.
'I use the buses all the time and I think it is a good idea because it was better when it was nationalised.
'Trains aren't very reliable at the moment so they need to be better run.
'I also think there's not enough opportunities for people in Middlesbrough so I agree with trying to bring in the Children and Wellbeing act.
'I despair about the town centre because there's nothing for the kids to do.'
However, community worker Louise Mitchell thinks the speech was a positive step forward for the nation.
The 37-year-old said: 'I don't believe in conversion therapy so it should banned.
Catherine Calvert, another retired nurse, thinks the smoking legislation is nonsense
However, community worker Louise Mitchell thinks the speech was a positive step forward for the nation
'If you are gay or transgender that's who you are as a person. I don't believe in the culture of changing that.
'I've known people who have tried going to church to not be gay but it is in their genes so it's wrong.
'A little girl or boy doesn't know what they want to be or how they feel about things until they get older.'
Louise also agreed with the smoking ban and clamp down on vapes.
She said: 'My grandfather had emphysema so I've been through it and I've witnessed other people die from lung cancer.
'People who want to start smoking should be introduced to hospital patients.
'It's an addiction and it's not healthy. It also costs the NHS a lot of money.
'We need to educate young people about what it does to the body and the teeth so I think it's a good thing.
'I also do think immigration police should be given more powers as said in the speech.'
Former DPD worker Thomas Graham, 26, who vapes, said: 'I totally agree with Labour bringing in the smoking ban.
'I feel like if the Government are cracking down on smoking and vaping it can only be a good thing.
'Having said that I hope it wouldn't then go to a black market. But that's what they would have to clamp down on.
'I only vape because I'm trying to stop smoking but kids do use the fruity flavours, which is wrong.'
Former DPD worker Thomas Graham, 26, who vapes, said: 'I totally agree with Labour bringing in the smoking ban.'
Thomas added: 'The conversion therapy doesn't affect me and my life but people should be allowed to feel how they want.
'I think it's wrong to target younger people with this sort of stuff. They should be allowed to express themselves.
'I do agree with trying to improve the rail and bus services.
'Towns need public transport and it's important that we maintain them and make them more affordable.'
Residents in Gravesend also reacted to the new policies which came under two weeks after Labour won a 171-seat majority in the general election.
Ross Clarke, 65, a semi-retired bricklayer in the Kent town, said: 'It takes away people's free will doesn't it.
'I started smoking quite late in my 30s and didn't go through the peer pressure of it either. But they should have the choice of being able to do it.
'I think there's many other things that the Government should be doing before this. There's much more important things to be getting on with.
'On the proposed conversion therapy ban, Ross added: It's forcing people to live with feelings they might not want without any intervention.
'People should be able to do what they like.'
Ross Clarke, 65, a semi-retired bricklayer in the Kent town, said the smoking ban 'takes away people's free will'
Ewan Peen, 19, smokes and agreed that it's a good idea to implement a ban
Engineer Dave Selway, 36, agreed with both the proposed policies.
The professional said: 'Yes it's probably a good thing that they are banning smoking. It's not very good for you. And they intervene on all sorts of health things these days.
'You've got to have some health guidelines and doing the ban is definitely encouraging people to be healthy.
'I don't agree with conversion therapy so its probably good they're banning it. I think therapies don't really exist for that sort of thing. You are who you are. People should just be left alone.'
Retired railway worker and Gravesend resident Tony Seabright, 78, said that he started smoking when he was in his late 40s and then gave up when they increased the VAT on the products.
Tony said: 'It means we stop them before they try and be big and grown up and start smoking. It's fair enough. It's no good for them.
'I smoked and then gave up because it just got too expensive.
'Conversion therapy sounds like a load of rubbish to be honest. I don't criticise anyone that's gay or lesbian or whatever.
'People can live their own lives. But that sort of thing sounds like rubbish.
'Each to their own.'
Retired railway worker Tony Seabright, 78, said that he started smoking when he was in his late 40s and then gave up when they increased the VAT on the products
Student Jenty Powell, 18, reached voting age just two days after the general election
Student Jenty Powell, 18, reached voting age just two days after the general election on July 4.
The switched-on youngster will start a politics degree at the University of Sussex in September.
Despite not being enfranchised, the Gen Z politics nut said she had a lot of opinions on the new Labour government.
Jenty said: 'I think the smoking ban may be solving a problem that isn't a massive thing. Before vaping became a thing it may have been a thing that kids cared about.
'But vaping is much more popular so it's solving a problem that isn't really there anymore.
'Smoking is too expensive for kids today anyway.
'But the conversion therapy ban had to happen. I'm a lesbian so it's important to me personally. After section 28, I think it was like a lingering thing from that sort of time.
'The Tories had a lot to say about wokeness and gender ideology. And I think Labour has some work to do to fix that.'
Will Allen, 18, agree with both of the Labour government's new policies.
Decorator Will said: 'It's a very good idea. I smoke and they're just bad for you, aren't they.'
Will's friend Ewan Peen, 19, also smokes and agreed that it's a good idea to implement a ban.
Cycle park worker Ewan said: 'It's a good idea. It's a mistake to start and it will stop people.'
On the announced restrictions on conversion therapy, the pair agreed the move was good.
Will Allen, 18, agree with both of the Labour government's new policies
Mother pals Amy Martin, 48, and smoker Beth Bone, 47, also agreed with the smoking ban
Ewan said: 'It's out of date to think that you can change someone like that. It's just stupid.'
Mother pals Amy Martin, 48, and smoker Beth Bone, 47, also agreed with the smoking ban.
Mother-of-one Beth said: 'I'm surprised they've done it. The tax revenue has always been something that the Government love.'
Mother-of-four Amy added: 'But it's a good thing because it stops young people getting addicted. Nicotine is a drug.'
On the conversion therapy ban, steadfast Beth said: 'I don't believe that it works that way. You can't whack the gay out of someone. And they probably don't look after the wellbeing of the person either.'
Amy said: 'I don't know a lot about it but I agree that it should happen so the ban is probably good.'
