A change in monarch, but no change in direction.

The King put on his crown, sat on his throne and made his speech, on behalf of the Prime Minister. No.10, in writing the speech, failed to bring forward desperately needed legislation, failed to reform at a time when this country is in such great need.

There was very little in it at all. Regulating pedicabs in London seemed to steal the headline, not that this isn’t important, but fiddling while Britain burns is hardly going to save us.

We learnt that the NHS waiting list is likely to rise to over eight million next year, and yet crucial and long-awaited legislation to reform the Mental Health Act and enshrine rights and human rights at its heart failed to get a mention.

We learnt that housing waiting lists are likely to rise further, forcing rents up as housing supply falls behind the growing demand for social and affordable homes, and yet there are no targets or ambition to build more to meet need.

We learnt that as prisons are overflowing and cannot provide even the most basic of rehabilitation, we have yet another crime bill, but no legislation to divert people from a life of crime.

As for the greatest crisis of all, our disintegrating planet, all the Prime Minister could muster was to license more oil and gas exploration and extraction, adding to climate destruction - not a radical Green New Deal, such as Labour would have announced.

There was the promise of yet another immigration bill, another transport bill and then a list of bills that Government have simply failed to progress in their 13 years in power. That's 13 years of squandering the privilege of office; 13 years where this Government has failed to meet the needs of the nation. We can all testify that we are worse off than before.

With another hard winter ready to bite, there was no relief or protection announced, exposing people to the obscenity of higher energy and fuel costs than last year, higher mortgage rates than last year and higher food prices than last year; if only I could say that wages and social security have kept up, but they have fallen behind.

The economy is still in turmoil and bills still need paying. This King’s Speech failed to meet the urgent needs of our hour, let alone protect us for the long term.

This Government proved what we all know, that they are out of touch, out of ideas and when that election is called I trust that you will put them out of office.

Government is not a game to play or an opportunity to waste. It is for the serious business of meeting need and investing in the future. It has the responsibility of ensuring justice and building equality. It has the opportunity to raise us up, not pull us down.

Now we have seen the extent of the Government’s reshuffle, and the return of the former Prime Minister who exited the stage as soon as things became difficult once he failed to protect us from Brexit, I have little hope.

As the debate on the King’s Speech concludes this week, having contributed myself last week, Parliament will once again commence legislating. I will do all I can to ensure that whatever laws are before us work for you, and I will be bringing back my own Bill in the weeks to come on reforming workplace culture and addressing bullying at work.

However, most importantly, the King’s Speech, rightly, also reflected on wars in Ukraine and Israel/Palestine. As we worry about our domestic situation, and rightly so, we must have, at the front of our minds, the enduring hardship of those in Ukraine as the bitter winter and the fatigue of over 20 months of fighting still leaves a land in turmoil and families apart. We need a resolution, and we need the international community to further its efforts to resolve this conflict.

Likewise, the devastating situation in Israel and Palestine. Hostages must be returned and a ceasefire must be instituted and held. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza pains us all, as food, water, shelter, medical aid and power supplies are of the most urgent need. This week I will vote for peace, for that ceasefire, but also the duty on our nation to dedicate itself to the de-escalation of violence and building of justice and peace.

This must be the focus of our Parliament. As your MP, I dedicate myself to this cause.