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| What was in the Queen's speech – and what was left out | What was in the Queen's speech – and what was left out |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The most controversial elements of the Tory election manifesto including social care, new grammar schools and lifting the ban on foxhunting are absent from the 27 bills and draft bills that make up the Queen’s speech. | The most controversial elements of the Tory election manifesto including social care, new grammar schools and lifting the ban on foxhunting are absent from the 27 bills and draft bills that make up the Queen’s speech. |
| Dropped | Dropped |
| Theresa May’s electorally explosive proposals on social care costs have been postponed, with the door left open to future legislation after the promised consultation within the next two years. Also dropped appear to be legislation to abolish the independent Serious Fraud Office and a bill to implement what were once Michael Gove’s high profile prison reform plans. | Theresa May’s electorally explosive proposals on social care costs have been postponed, with the door left open to future legislation after the promised consultation within the next two years. Also dropped appear to be legislation to abolish the independent Serious Fraud Office and a bill to implement what were once Michael Gove’s high profile prison reform plans. |
| The prime minister’s personal drive against extremism is also postponed, with the possibility of immediate flagship legislation replaced by a further counter-terrorism review, and her promised new statutory commission to counter extremism to deny extremists “safe spaces” is relegated to a “non-legislative measure”. | The prime minister’s personal drive against extremism is also postponed, with the possibility of immediate flagship legislation replaced by a further counter-terrorism review, and her promised new statutory commission to counter extremism to deny extremists “safe spaces” is relegated to a “non-legislative measure”. |
| The king of Spain’s state visit in July got a mention but there was not a word on Donald Trump’s previously billed state visit this autumn. Downing Street says that’s because no firm date has yet been fixed. | |
| Kept | Kept |
| At the heart of what remains are eight Brexit-related bills, and a series of measures, including on electric cars, the next phase of the HS2 high-speed train project, developing commercial satellites and extending smart metering, to give a modernising flavour to the government’s programme. The digital world is to be greeted with a new personal data regime including a “right to be forgotten” law. | |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| The eight Brexit bills are as expected. Downing Street says the repeal bill “won’t put any constraints on the withdrawal agreement we will make” which crucially leaves open the door to any type of Brexit, whether hard or soft. The repeal bill has lost the “great” prefix in its title and will incorporate into UK domestic law all EU laws that apply at the point of Britain’s exit. | |
| The Brexit bills include separate trade and customs bills, with the latter including powers to impose a separate British VAT and excise regime on exit, agriculture and fisheries bills and new national laws on nuclear safeguards and international sanctions. The immigration bill will repeal EU law on free movement but also make the migration of EU nationals and their families subject to UK law. This is likely to affect their rights to bring spouses to live in Britain. | |
| Citizens | Citizens |
| There is also a citizens’ rights theme through the Queen’s speech, bringing together the energy price cap – albeit in a weaker form as a non-legislative measure – a draft bill to improve victims’ rights in the criminal justice system and a delayed draft measure on unfair tenants’ fees and to help reduce car insurance premiums. The previous prisons and courts bill, which was to have been carried over from the previous parliament, has been halved, with the penal reform element dropped completely. Measures to modernise the court system remain. | |
| Non-legislative measures | Non-legislative measures |
| The promised public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, the adoption of a Hillsborough-style public advocate for bereaved families, mental health reform, a new drive for technical education including new T-levels, and moves to tackle the gender pay gap have been classed as “non-legislative measures”, perhaps indicating a reduction in the scale of ambition. | |
| The Grenfell Tower fire public inquiry includes commitments to consulting residents over its terms and ensuring their voice is heard at the inquiry by funding legal representation. There is also a pledge to create a new “civil disaster reaction taskforce” in recognition of the chaotic immediate response of the authorities. But ministers only promise to “assess the position on building regulations” in light of the inquiry’s interim findings. | |
| A “digital charter” holds out the prospect of making the UK “the safest place to be online”, with a promise to tackle “harmful content online” whether it is extremist, abusive or harmful to children. |