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Brexit: Queen's speech says government priority is to leave EU on 31 October - live news
Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn dismisses Queen's speech as 'farce' – live news
(about 3 hours later)
Here is an extract from Boris Johnson’s statement about the Queen’s speech in his introduction to the Queen’s speech briefing pack (pdf). As befits a former motoring correspondent of GQ, he uses a driving metaphor – promising to “get the gears on our national gearbox working again”.
Johnson says the government wants the economy to flourish because so many solutions to our problems are provided by the free market and capitalism.
This Queen’s speech delivers on my promise as prime minister to get this amazing country of ours moving again. People are tired of stasis, gridlock and waiting for change. They don’t want to wait for improvements in their hospitals. They don’t want to wait for their streets to be made safer. They don’t want to wait for their schools to have the funding they need to give their children the superb education they deserve.
That is how the UK will become carbon neutral by 2050, he says.
And they don’t want to wait any longer to get Brexit done and to answer that clarion call of 17.4m people in the greatest exercise of democracy in our national history.
He says this is understood even by his “crusty” relatives like his father, Stanley, who backed the Extinction Rebellion protests.
So we are going to get the gears on our national gearbox working again. Leaving the EU is a defining opportunity for us to set a new course and a new direction for our country – to do the things we have not been allowed to for decades, to tear away that bureaucratic red tape, to set our own rules, and to release the talent, creativity, innovation and chutzpah that exists in every corner of our United Kingdom.
Tom Brake, the Lib Dem Brexit spokesman, asks about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on manufacturing.
It is striking how, despite being one of the architects of the vote to leave the EU, Johnson is now desperate to move beyond the “gridlock” that the referendum result engendered.
Johnson says that is why the Lib Dems should vote for a deal.
In his statement, Johnson also revives a line that he used during his speech to the Tory conference. He says:
And he accuses Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, of going to Brussels for a meeting with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, and asking him to rule out any deal.
If there is one great British institution that has the emotional force to bring our country together, it is our NHS. It is sacred in our nation precisely because at its heart is the simple beauty of the principle that whoever you are, no matter where you come from, if you fall sick the whole country gathers figuratively at your bedside.
Johnson says Labour’s plan to scrap Ofsted is “insane”.
(You can see why Johnson is taken by the metaphor, but I’m not sure it works. Personally, if I were in hospital, the last thing I would want would be the whole nation by my bedside.)
He says that one nation Conservatives like himself support Ofsted because they believe in standards.
I missed this moment earlier ...
Back in the debate Labour’s Angela Eagle says Merseyside has lost 1,120 police officers. Why is it only being allowed to recruit 200 more.
pic.twitter.com/C3yZzQd7u0
Johnson says this is just the first wave of recruitment.
The government has now published its 130-page Queen’s speech briefing pack (pdf).
From the Independent’s John Rentoul
This includes a statement by the prime minister, the full text of the Queen’s speech (always the most boring speech delivered by anyone during the political calendar – it is basically just a list), and briefing notes on all the government bills being planned.
Good speech by PM, but no response to John McDonnell heckling, “5m children in poverty” and other Lab MPs, “food banks”
Here is my colleague Peter Walker’s story about the Queen’s speech.
Johnson says he wants to level up investment across the nation.
Queen's speech reveals tougher jail terms and end to free movement
He claims decisions now will lead to 40 new hospitals.
And this is how it starts.
(Actually, as this Full Fact briefing explains, six would be a more accurate figure.)
The government has announced a proposed legislative programme dominated by post-Brexit bills and a renewed focus on law and order in an unusual Queen’s speech, one mainly used by Boris Johnson as a preview of the Conservatives’ election manifesto.
Turning back to the issue of the prosecution of military veterans, Johnson says the government will legislate to ensure there is no unfair prosecution when no new evidence has been produced.
The summary of planned new laws read out by the Queen to mark the new session of parliament contained 26 new or returning bills, more than a third of which relate to new arrangements following departure from the EU.
The DUP’s Sammy Wilson asks Johnson to assure him that he will not let the Northern Ireland Office include the IRA in any provisions.
Other key elements of a speech widely trailed in advance included plans for tougher jail sentences and controversial proposals to oblige people to show photographic ID before they are allowed to vote.
Johnson repeats the point he made originally.
Back to Brexit, and at the European commission’s daily briefing the commission’s spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, got sidetracked into musing about lighting effects when responding to a question about progress in the Brexit talks. Asked about “light at the end of the tunnel” and whether the light was “static” or “approaching”, she replied:
Johnson says Corbyn recently said he was daunted by the idea of becoming PM. Many other people feel the same way, he says. He says he personally will do all he can to stop this.
I’m really not a technician in light bulbs or light effects. Maybe it could be a flashing light, because sometimes it’s stronger, sometimes it’s less strong. So let’s see what kind of light we will see at the end. Hopefully there will be light indeed.
He says his government will champion the free market. He says the mention of a free market has made John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, flinch “like a Transylvanian in the sunlight”.
From Jack McConnell, a Labour peer
Bob Stewart, a Conservative, asks Johnson why there was no legislation in the speech to protect former members of the armed forces from being prosecuted over historical events.
Behind the scenes, the carriages ‘park up’ #QueensSpeech pic.twitter.com/uPVS4Nu6Fy
Johnson says the government is still consulting on this matter. It will bring forward legislation when it is ready, he says.
She says the union is of the utmost importance to the government.
And this is from the BBC’s Ian Watson.
Steps will be taken to protect the integrity of democracy, she says.
'One by one @jeremycorbyn 's lieutenants are being purged' as @johnmcdonnell 'tightens his icy grip' says @BorisJohnson (Of course 21 of his anti no deal MPs may have considered themsleves purged too...) pic.twitter.com/3HZVuMYIGj
The government will maintain defence spending at 2% of GDP.
From the Independent’s Rob Merrick
And the UK will continue to play a leading role in global affairs, she says.
Jeez!! Boris Johnson taunting Jeremy Corbyn over his Brexit contortions (fair enough)….…but this is the PM who has just carried out the mother of all U-turns, backing a version of May's plan he once branded “crazy” !
She tells MPs that estimates (measures that decide how government money is spent) will be presented to them.
Johnson turns to Jeremy Corbyn, and he accuses Corbyn of changing his mind on an early election.
And “other measures” will be introduced during the session, she says.
He says Corbyn’s policy on cake is neither having it nor eating it.
And that’s it.
And he jokes about the changes to Corbyn’s inner circle. (See 9.58am.) John McDonnell is tightening his icy grip on the party, he says.
The Queen says the government is committed to the environment. There will be measures to improve air and water quality, and to promote the welfare of animals. Trophy hunting will be banned.
Boris Johnson is speaking now.
The Queen says the government wants everyone to have access to an excellent education.
He starts with tributes to the MPs Lee Rowley and Sarah Newton.
There will be measures to help those working hard.
Rowley’s aunt was secretary to Arthur Scargill, Johnson says. He also says Rowley collects airline memorabilia (which might not be something Rowley wanted everyone to know).
A national infrastructure strategy will bring the benefits of a prospering economy to every corner of the kingdom, she says.
Corbyn says there was no action on the climate in the speech.
Legislation will ensure the delivery of fast, reliable broadband to millions of homes.
There is some truth in this. The speech includes an environment bill. This will codify carbon emission targets, but in his comment on this bill in his introduction to the Queen’s speech briefing pack (pdf), Boris Johnson focused on what the bill would do for animal welfare (a priority for his partner Carrie Symonds, who campaigns on this topic). Johnson said:
There will be an aviation bill, and proposals on railway reform.
The huge star of our legislative programme is a momentous new environment bill – a lodestar by which we will guide our country towards a cleaner and greener future.
She says the government’s new economic plan will be underpinned by a new fiscal strategy.
This legislation takes forward the work of my predecessor, and will set a framework of legally binding targets to reduce plastics, restore biodiversity and clean up our water and air. And demonstrating that the British really are a nation of animal lovers we will take steps to strengthen animal welfare.
There will be measures to strengthen the NHS, she says. There will also be plans to reform adult social care.
Corbyn says Boris Johnson needs to assure EU nationals living in this country that their right to stay in the UK will be guaranteed.
She says the government is committed to addressing violent crime. New sentencing laws will be introduced, she says. And measures will improve the handling of foreign national offenders.
Corbyn turns to the government’s plans to require people to show photo ID when they vote.
There will be measures to improve prison safety and to help victims.
We will not allow this government to stifle democracy by making it harder for people to vote – there was only one instance of voter personation at the last election.
Public sector bodies will be under a duty to address serious violence.
Eleven million in this country don’t have a passport or driving licence. There are huge risks in such legislation, which will disproportionately affect working class, ethnic minority and young voters.
There will also be laws to help the victims of domestic abuse and to minimise the impact of divorce.
Labour’s Angela Eagle asks Corbyn if this is an attempt to suppress voter turnout amongst certain groups (groups likely to vote for Labour). Corbyn agrees.
The Queen starts by saying the government’s priority “has always been to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on 31 October”.
Corbyn says the speech does nothing for bus services.
She says the government wants a new partnership with the EU, based on free trade.
He says most tower blocks with Grenfell-style cladding have not had it removed.
There will be new regimes for fisheries and agriculture.
An immigration bill, ending free movement, will be introduced.
And steps will be taken to deliver stability in financial services, she says.
Robert Buckland, the lord chancellor, gives the Queen the text of the speech to read out.
The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire heard what Dennis Skinner said.
BOOM! "I'm not going" - Dennis Skinner's briefest if most direct heckle after Black Rod announced the Queen was summoning MPs to the House of Lords
Black Rod is entering the Commons.
She tells the Speaker the Queen has commanded MPs to attend her in the House of Lords.
Dennis Skinner, the Labour MP famous for heckling Black Rod at this point in the ceremony, expresses some sort of dissent, but from the TV coverage it is hard to hear what he said.
Downing Street has expressed scepticism at the idea the UK could part-exit the EU on 31 October – agreeing a deal to satisfy political demand while allowing a “technical extension” for details to be finalised.
Asked about the idea, which would allow Boris Johnson to reach an interim agreement at the European council summit this week while giving more time for parliament and the EU to approve it, Johnson’s spokesman said: “It’s news to me that something like that is even possible.”
Asked if Downing Street would thus not agree such a plan even if it was mooted, the spokesman said:
The prime minister has been clear on many occasions that we are going to leave on 31 October.
There was also little news on negotiations to even reach a deal at the summit in Brussels this Wednesday and Thursday. “Talks remain constructive but there is a lot of work still to do,” Johnson’s spokesman said.
The prime minister currently has no calls with EU leaders scheduled, despite reports he was due to talk to people including Angela Merkel.
If a deal was reached, he said, MPs would be expected to “work around the clock” to get it through parliament in time. However, as yet it is not confirmed whether the Commons will definitely sit on Saturday, as mooted, to either agree a deal or decide on a possible extension, as dictated under the so-called Benn act.
A motion to sit on Saturday would need to be tabled on Wednesday for a vote of MPs on Thursday, the spokesman said.
The Queen is now on the throne in the Lords.
But MPs are still in the Commons. They now need to be summoned by Black Rod.
