The Queen’s speech – what was in it?

The Queen’s speech outlined a number of proposed laws for the last parliamentary session before next year’s general election. Amongst the proposals were:

• Fiscal Responsibility Bill – making the promise to halve the budget deficit law.
• Financial Services and Business Bill – clampdown on bonuses.
• Policing Bill – adding more sex offenders to the national DNA register
• Schools Bill – guaranteeing school standards and extra help for weaker students

You can find an outline list of the proposals here. And a more detailed list of the proposals here.

You can also find a number of videos on this here, on the left hand side. All thanks, of course, to the BBC.

The Queen’s speech – Round One!

Yesterday, the Queen’s speech was delivered in the House of Lords, and who knows what her gracious majesty made of the political slanging match down the corridor in the Commons.

As you would expect, Brown accused the Tories of getting everything wrong, and well, Cameron accused Brown of getting everything wrong.

Gordon Brown proclaimed:

Labour [is] the only party with the policies to build a long term recovery…. the Conservatives had been wrong on every single issue we have faced in economic policy this year.

David Cameron countered by saying the Queen’s speech was a:

Labour press release on Palace parchment….They have run out of money, they have run out of time,  they have run out of ideas…

Nick Clegg also thrust his sword into the fray, describing the speech as:

…a fantasy package full of unnecessary measures.

I have a feeling that next year’s general election could get quite bloody!

FAQ: What is the Queen’s speech

Today, the Queen sat in the House of Lords and delivered a speech. Hence, understandably, this was called the Queen’s speech. The Queen’s speech occurs every year, and heralds the beginning of a new parliamentary session.

The speech in fact, is not really the Queen’s. She merely reads it out. The speech is written by the government of the day, and outlines what Bills (proposed laws) they will be introducing over the next 12 months.

Given that this is the last Queen’s speech before the general election, it is been viewed by some as Gordon Brown drawing his battle lines against the Conservatives. Critics in the Tory Party and Lib Dems are saying that it is a bit of sham, mere electioneering as many of the Bills will not have enough time to pass into law.

Politics will continue to turn nasty over the next few months!

MP’s expenses scandal rolls on

We have just learned that 27 MPs are to be investigated by HM Revenue and Customs to find out whether they have paid enough tax. Some MPs have been criticised for not paying capital gains tax on second homes sold after being bought with public money.

It seems that MPs simply cannot put the expenses farrago to bed. Just in case you slept through the whole of  the initial scandal, the BBC have kindly dedicated a lot of time and space to keep us informed. Have a look at their site.

MPs’ expenses

Passing the parcel with poverty?

Do Labour now accept that they are going to lose the next general election? Yvette Cooper, the new Work and Pensions Secretary has announced that the government intend to pass into law central government’s commitment to eradicate child poverty.

As we know, parliament cannot bind the hands of a future parliament, making commitments on its behalf that cannot be reversed. And yet, this looks like an attempt to at least box a future parliament into a political corner.

Is this merely a trap for a future Conservative Government? A Cameron administration would have to either support the current government’s commitment on child poverty, or actively and very publicly reject it, rather than secretly burying bad news on a heavy news day. The Conservative opposition could of course argue against this proposal, but would arguably look bad if they did so. Is this an example Gordon’s Brown’s oft-talked about strategic brilliance, after weeks and months of political errors?