Get MPs sworn in to parliament: from 9 July

A new parliament will be summoned to meet on 9 July. The first business will be to elect a Commons Speaker and complete the swearing in of MPs and peers. MPs take the oath in order of seniority: the Speaker goes first, followed by the MP with the longest continuous service, the prime minister, members of the cabinet and shadow cabinet, any MPs who are privy counsellors, and then other MPs based on when they were first elected. 

This takes place before the state opening of parliament, and usually takes two to three days. Most MPs take the oath during this period, although some time is set aside in subsequent sitting days for any remaining MPs to be sworn in. MPs cannot participate in substantive business in the chamber, including debates or votes, until they have been sworn in. 

Open the new parliament with a King’s Speech: 17 July

The King’s Speech is part of the state opening of parliament and marks the formal beginning of each new parliamentary session. It is scheduled to take place on 17 July, 13 days after the election. No substantive parliamentary business can usually occur until after the speech is delivered.

The speech is an opportunity for the new government to set out its priorities and programme for the session. It is debated and voted on in the days following; in recent years this has tended to take place over six sitting days. This event is a constitutionally important moment, as it is a test of a government’s ability to command the confidence of the Commons. 

Setting a date for summer recess: TBC

Before the election was called, summer recess was scheduled to start on 23 July. However this is less than six days from the King’s Speech and so would not leave enough time for the usual six sitting days taken to debate and vote on it, so it is likely that new recess dates will be set. This decision rests with the new government, and will be determined in part by what Keir Starmer wants to get done before recess and whether it need MPs in attendance for this. For example Rachel Reeves has announced that she will present new Treasury analysis on the state of the spending inheritance to parliament before recess.

MPs who have been working hard on the campaign trail are likely to want clarity on this soon after the election. Business questions in the house are expected to resume on 18 July: if  a decision has been made this would be an appropriate time for the leader of the house to announce any revised recess dates. 

The last time the UK saw a July general election was in 1945. On this occasion, the state opening of parliament was on 15 August, and summer recess was moved to 24 August.

Attend key international summits: 9–18 July

The US will host a NATO summit in Washington DC between 9–11 July. These summits provide an opportunity for leaders of NATO countries to discuss issues and strategic direction. As with the 2023 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the UK prime minister, foreign and defence secretaries are expected to attend.

These dates coincide with the election of the Speaker and MPs’ swearing in. However, the prime minister and ministers do not need to be in the chamber to elect the Speaker, and can conduct ministerial business before being sworn in. 

On 18 July the European Political Community (EPC) summit, which brings together leaders from across Europe, will be held in the UK at Blenheim Palace. It will be hosted by the prime minister.