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| Planned national living wage increase could be shelved if economy falters, government suggests – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the Queen’s speech and Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the subsequent Commons debate | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the Queen’s speech and Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the subsequent Commons debate |
| When Sajid Javid, the chancellor, told the Tory conference in September that the government would raise the national living wage to £10.50 an hour over five years, that sounded like a clear commitment. It was in the manifesto (pdf) too as a promise about what would happen under a Conservative government, not something that might happen. | |
| But now an element of doubt seems to be creeping in. As the government briefing document (pdf) on the Queen’s speech reveals, the national living wage increase will only take place “provided economic conditions allow”. This implies that, in the event of a recession, the rise won’t go ahead. The document says: | |
| I’m grateful to SuffolkJason BTL for flagging this up. | |
| Here is my colleague Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, on the plans for a review of spying legislation. (See 12.08pm.) | |
| The Queen’s speech says almost nothing new on social care, beyond restating the outline approach Boris Johnson sketched out during the general election campaign: an extra £1bn a year for councils, seeking cross-party consensus on a way forward, and ensuring no one should have to sell their home to pay for care. | |
| But the government briefing paper (pdf) does say that the government may continue to allow councils to raise money for social care through a social care precept. This is something that has been happening since 2016; councils are allowed to raise council tax by an extra 2%, provided the revenue goes to social care. | |
| The government document says: | |
| The absence of a detailed plan for social care is an embarrassment because, in his first speech as PM in July, Johnson claimed that he had a “clear plan” to deal with the problem. He said: | |
| Earlier this week, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, played down reports that the protection of workers’ rights would not be included in the EU withdrawal agreement bill, saying there would be a separate bill on employment rights in the Queen’s speech. | Earlier this week, Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, played down reports that the protection of workers’ rights would not be included in the EU withdrawal agreement bill, saying there would be a separate bill on employment rights in the Queen’s speech. |
| There is an employment bill in the Queen’s speech. According to the government’s briefing document (pdf), it will make flexible working the default, give workers the right to request a more predictable contract and ensure workers get the tips in full left for them. The government says the bill will “protect and enhance workers’ rights as the UK leaves the EU, making Britain the best place in the world to work”. | There is an employment bill in the Queen’s speech. According to the government’s briefing document (pdf), it will make flexible working the default, give workers the right to request a more predictable contract and ensure workers get the tips in full left for them. The government says the bill will “protect and enhance workers’ rights as the UK leaves the EU, making Britain the best place in the world to work”. |
| But the briefing does not say anything about how UK employment rights will or will not remain aligned with EU employment rights. | But the briefing does not say anything about how UK employment rights will or will not remain aligned with EU employment rights. |
| Fresh from her Bute House media event (see 10.10am), calling for both section 30 order powers to hold a second Scottish independence referendum and the permanent devolution of those powers to Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon has faced sustained questioning on her domestic record at FMQs. | Fresh from her Bute House media event (see 10.10am), calling for both section 30 order powers to hold a second Scottish independence referendum and the permanent devolution of those powers to Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon has faced sustained questioning on her domestic record at FMQs. |
| The Scottish Tory leader, Jackson Carlaw, raised a series of public service failures revealed over the past week, on ferries, railways and hospitals. Yesterday the Scottish government stripped Abellio, Scotland’s main railway operator, of their franchise three years early after anger from commuters over cancellations and poor services. On the same day the finance secretary revealed that taxpayers were facing a £100m bill for two lifeline ferries after a catalogue of errors and mismanagement by contractors. | The Scottish Tory leader, Jackson Carlaw, raised a series of public service failures revealed over the past week, on ferries, railways and hospitals. Yesterday the Scottish government stripped Abellio, Scotland’s main railway operator, of their franchise three years early after anger from commuters over cancellations and poor services. On the same day the finance secretary revealed that taxpayers were facing a £100m bill for two lifeline ferries after a catalogue of errors and mismanagement by contractors. |
| Carlaw accused Sturgeon of “showboating in front of the cameras” this morning, while ignoring the patients let down by poor hospital waiting times. He said every public service run by the SNP was ending the year in a worse place than when it began, while the Lib Dem leader, Willie Rennie, told Sturgeon that “every hour she takes off to hold another press conference at Bute House is another hour wasted trying to sort out [public services] that matter to the people of Scotland”. | Carlaw accused Sturgeon of “showboating in front of the cameras” this morning, while ignoring the patients let down by poor hospital waiting times. He said every public service run by the SNP was ending the year in a worse place than when it began, while the Lib Dem leader, Willie Rennie, told Sturgeon that “every hour she takes off to hold another press conference at Bute House is another hour wasted trying to sort out [public services] that matter to the people of Scotland”. |
| Sturgeon accused Rennie of “borrowing his question” from Carlaw, and said childcare staffing was increasing, waiting times improving and the attainment gap closing, although citing the same Pisa education study that showed Scotland’s performance in maths and science at a record low, and reading levels lower than they were at the start of the millennium. | Sturgeon accused Rennie of “borrowing his question” from Carlaw, and said childcare staffing was increasing, waiting times improving and the attainment gap closing, although citing the same Pisa education study that showed Scotland’s performance in maths and science at a record low, and reading levels lower than they were at the start of the millennium. |
| The Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, raised an interesting point about Scottish workers missing out on renewables jobs across the country, while those who are employed are stuck on short-term contracts. The union Unite has talked about a “renewables scandal” as jobs are placed increasingly with overseas firms. | The Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, raised an interesting point about Scottish workers missing out on renewables jobs across the country, while those who are employed are stuck on short-term contracts. The union Unite has talked about a “renewables scandal” as jobs are placed increasingly with overseas firms. |
| Here is some video of Jeremy Corbyn doing his best to avoid even looking at Boris Johnson, let alone talk to him, as they process from the Commons chamber to the Lords together to listen to the Queen’s speech. Johnson does not seem too hurt by the snub. | Here is some video of Jeremy Corbyn doing his best to avoid even looking at Boris Johnson, let alone talk to him, as they process from the Commons chamber to the Lords together to listen to the Queen’s speech. Johnson does not seem too hurt by the snub. |
| The October Queen’s speech promised an environment bill, to improve air and water quality and to tackle plastic pollution, and the same bill is in today’s Queen’s speech. But now the government is saying explicitly the legislation will “ban the export of polluting plastic waste to non-OECD countries”, with industry, NGOs and councils being consulted on when this could be achieved. | The October Queen’s speech promised an environment bill, to improve air and water quality and to tackle plastic pollution, and the same bill is in today’s Queen’s speech. But now the government is saying explicitly the legislation will “ban the export of polluting plastic waste to non-OECD countries”, with industry, NGOs and councils being consulted on when this could be achieved. |
| This will be tough - Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea and India all take our plastic waste - and we have yet to build a domestic recycling industry which can keep this waste and use it here in a circular economy. We export two thirds of our plastic waste. | This will be tough - Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea and India all take our plastic waste - and we have yet to build a domestic recycling industry which can keep this waste and use it here in a circular economy. We export two thirds of our plastic waste. |
| The Department for Exiting the European Union will be wound up on 31 January, the government has announced. A government spokesman said the news was broken to DExEU staff today. | The Department for Exiting the European Union will be wound up on 31 January, the government has announced. A government spokesman said the news was broken to DExEU staff today. |
| It has been been reported that, after the UK leaves the EU at the end of January, Boris Johnson will conducted an extensive reshuffle involving changes to the way Whitehall is organised. One option is for DExEU’s functions to be taken over by a beefed-up Department for International Trade, which would take the lead in negotiating post-Brexit trade deals. | It has been been reported that, after the UK leaves the EU at the end of January, Boris Johnson will conducted an extensive reshuffle involving changes to the way Whitehall is organised. One option is for DExEU’s functions to be taken over by a beefed-up Department for International Trade, which would take the lead in negotiating post-Brexit trade deals. |
| In his foreword to the government briefing notes (pdf) on the Queen’s speech, Boris Johnson makes it clear he is planning a programme for the next 10 years. He says: | In his foreword to the government briefing notes (pdf) on the Queen’s speech, Boris Johnson makes it clear he is planning a programme for the next 10 years. He says: |
| Unless the repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act is going to go a lot further than any of us were expecting (the Act is the law saying a general election has to take place every five years, replacing the Septennial Act which used to be the legislation setting a time limit for the maximum length of a parliament), Johnson must be assuming that winning the next election won’t be too much of a problem. | Unless the repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act is going to go a lot further than any of us were expecting (the Act is the law saying a general election has to take place every five years, replacing the Septennial Act which used to be the legislation setting a time limit for the maximum length of a parliament), Johnson must be assuming that winning the next election won’t be too much of a problem. |
| Leo Varadkar reckons Boris Johnson is eccentric – but in a good way. | Leo Varadkar reckons Boris Johnson is eccentric – but in a good way. |
| The Irish taoiseach outed himself as something of a fan of the prime minister in an TV interview on Wednesday. | The Irish taoiseach outed himself as something of a fan of the prime minister in an TV interview on Wednesday. |
| “He is the guy that you see, he’s bright, he’s witty, very personable, but he is a bit eccentric as well. He’s not the standard politician but that’s probably a good thing on balance,” he told Virgin Media One. | “He is the guy that you see, he’s bright, he’s witty, very personable, but he is a bit eccentric as well. He’s not the standard politician but that’s probably a good thing on balance,” he told Virgin Media One. |
| Asked whether he considered Johnson to be really a Europhile and not a Eurosceptic he replied: | Asked whether he considered Johnson to be really a Europhile and not a Eurosceptic he replied: |
| Despite Johnson reportedly mocking Varadkar’s surname – “why isn’t he called Murphy like the rest of them?” – the two men hit it off during a meeting in October that paved the Brexit deal. | Despite Johnson reportedly mocking Varadkar’s surname – “why isn’t he called Murphy like the rest of them?” – the two men hit it off during a meeting in October that paved the Brexit deal. |
| The prime minister’s Love Actually spoof campaign video probably boosted his stock with the taoiseach. Varadkar is a fan of the film and cited it when visiting Theresa May at Downing Street in 2017. | The prime minister’s Love Actually spoof campaign video probably boosted his stock with the taoiseach. Varadkar is a fan of the film and cited it when visiting Theresa May at Downing Street in 2017. |
| There was nothing in the Queen’s speech two months ago about new spying legislation. But now the government is proposing legislation to give the security services “the tools they need to disrupt hostile state activity”. | There was nothing in the Queen’s speech two months ago about new spying legislation. But now the government is proposing legislation to give the security services “the tools they need to disrupt hostile state activity”. |
| The government notes (pdf) say this is something that has been planned since the Salisbury poisoning attack. The government says: | The government notes (pdf) say this is something that has been planned since the Salisbury poisoning attack. The government says: |
| Here is the text of the Queen’s speech. | Here is the text of the Queen’s speech. |
| And here is the 151-page government briefing document (pdf) giving details of the bills and other legislative proposals planned for this session of parliament. | And here is the 151-page government briefing document (pdf) giving details of the bills and other legislative proposals planned for this session of parliament. |
| From the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn | From the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn |