The Scottish Greens have urged Keir Starmer to take "bold and historic" action on poverty and the environment by raising taxes on the rich.

On Wednesday King Charles will officially open the new parliament, where the Labour party will set out its agenda for the next 12 months.

Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater urged Mr Starmer to announce a wealth tax on the richest members of society to tackle child poverty and deliver a green new deal.

She cited research from the University of Greenwich which suggested a 1% wealth tax could raise £70bn.

Ms Slater said: “Keir Starmer will rarely be in as powerful a position as he is now. He must seize the opportunity and take the kind of bold and historic action that will finally end the shocking levels of poverty all around us and begin to tackle the climate crisis.

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“By asking the very wealthiest people to pay a bit more he could transform our economy and the lives of so many children and families who have paid the price for 14 years of Tory rule, and could end the cruel two child benefit cap and bedroom tax many times over.

“The UK is one of the richest societies there has ever been at any time in history. There is no need for any child to go to bed cold or hungry, yet millions are every single day. It is a moral disgrace and a legacy of decades of failure.

“On the face of it, the King’s speech is a ridiculous and garish celebration of extreme wealth and inequality. Yet, behind all of the pomp and pageantry the policies that are announced will have an impact for years to come.

“This is a really urgent time for our country and our climate. It is a time for bold action and change. People deserve so much better than the last 14 years have offered, but that can’t happen without a fundamental change in our politics and our economy.”