Commenting on the King’s Speech, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:

“The programme of measures set out in the King’s Speech confirms that the immediate and real issues of concern to teachers and families are not being addressed by the Government.

“It is deeply regrettable that no programme of new measures was announced to tackle widening inequality, the continuing cost of living crisis, to increase access to affordable housing or to end the blight of the deepening teacher recruitment and retention crisis in our schools and colleges.

“The Government taking aim at the rights of ordinary working people in this last King’s Speech before a General Election is both shameful and reprehensible.

“Whilst the Prime Minister has committed to long-term reform with the introduction of his much-vaunted Advanced British Standard, the urgent and pressing issues affecting young people’s access to high-quality education and training today were entirely missing from the Government’s programme.

“Whilst the aim to restrict the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children is positive, the Government’s ambition should go much further. The Government should follow the evidence and protect all children through a legislative requirement for plain packaging of e-cigarettes and an outright ban on the sale of disposable vapes.”