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Queen’s Speech Lays Out Boris Johnson’s Domestic Agenda Queen’s Speech Promises Brexit Soon, and Ambitious Domestic Agenda
(about 8 hours later)
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II arrived in the British Parliament on Thursday to lay out the legislative agenda for the new government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which is pledging to carry out a swift exit from the European Union and to make major investments in Britain’s National Health Service and the police. LONDON — The last time Queen Elizabeth II presided over the opening of the British Parliament, only 66 days ago, she arrived in a gilded, horse-drawn carriage and wore an 18-foot velvet cape — a regal symbol of continuity at a time when her country was being convulsed by the debate over Brexit.
The pomp and ritual of the speech, which by custom marks the seating of a new Parliament, was more subdued than the queen’s last appearance in the House of Lords for deliver a similar speech, just two months ago. That came after Mr. Johnson had suspended Parliament prematurely amid a furious debate over his Brexit policy. On Thursday, the queen was back to open Parliament again, arriving by car and clad in a simple teal coat — a no-nonsense approach for a nation that, in the wake of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s sweeping election victory last week, wants desperately to put Brexit behind it and get back to a semblance of normalcy.
At the time, Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party had no majority in Parliament and was essentially powerless to push any contentious legislation. The queen’s speech essentially amounted to a political pitch by Mr. Johnson to the voters before a general election. The queen laid out an ambitious agenda for Mr. Johnson’s government that will include major investments in the National Health Service and law enforcement, ending the austerity policies that characterized nearly a decade of Conservative government. She also confirmed that, as Mr. Johnson promised, Britain will be out of the European Union by Jan. 31.
This time, the political context could scarcely be more different. “My ministers will seek a future relationship with the European Union based on a free-trade agreement that benefits the whole of the United Kingdom,” the queen said, delivering the government’s upbeat, likely unrealistic, goal of hammering out a comprehensive deal by the end of next year.
After a landslide victory that gave Mr. Johnson a wide majority in Parliament, the fate of Mr. Johnson’s plan is no longer in question: Britain will leave the European Union, as he promised during the campaign, by the end of January. But outside the swelling chorus of optimism in the House of Lords, where the queen spoke, there were a few discordant notes.
The prime minister is now shifting attention to his domestic agenda, which augurs an end to the era of austerity, with heavy spending on popular programs like health care, education, and law and order. Thursday’s speech was designed to start delivering on campaign promises. Just before the queen spoke, one part of her kingdom renewed its quest to break away: The Scottish National Party formally demanded that Scotland be allowed to hold another referendum on independence. Mr. Johnson will almost certainly rebuff the Scots, but since the nationalists rolled back the Conservative Party in Scotland, they are sure to remain a thorn in his side.
At the heart of the new program is a Brexit bill, aimed to ensure that Britain leaves the European Union on Jan. 31, but there will also be a raft of legislation to deal with the changes wrought by Brexit. And retail sales fell for a fourth consecutive month in November, deepening the main street gloom and underscoring the economic threat still posed by the split with the European Union. Still, compared to the last queen’s speech, which was almost lost in the din over Brexit, this ceremony was relatively tranquil.
Those will include bills on agriculture, fisheries and trade — areas where the British government will take over powers currently exercised by the European Union. And there will be laws to cover a new immigration system that could come into place at the end of 2020, removing the special status that citizens of other European Union member countries currently have in Britain. In October, Mr. Johnson’s party had no majority and was essentially powerless to pass any contentious legislation. Britain’s Supreme Court had rebuked him for illegally suspending Parliament amid a bitter debate over his Brexit policy. The queen’s speech amounted to a political pitch by Mr. Johnson to the voters before a general election, fueling criticism that he was exploiting the monarch.
In addition, the program will flesh out the Conservative Party’s election pledge to channel more money into the increasingly beleaguered National Health Service, putting into law the promise to increase funding by 33.9 billion pounds, or about $43 billion, by the fiscal year covering 2023 and 2024. This time, the political context could hardly be more different. With Mr. Johnson commanding a hefty majority, his plan to leave the European Union will sail through. He is now shifting attention to what he calls the “people’s priorities” — spending on health care, education and law and order. The queen’s speech was designed to start delivering on his campaign promises.
Another campaign theme was a tougher stand on crime, with increased sentences for violent and sexual offenders and requiring those convicted of the worst offenses — including terrorism — to serve more of their sentences. Among them is a pledge to channel more money into the increasingly beleaguered National Health Service. The government enshrined in law Mr. Johnson’s election promise to increase funding of the health service by 33.9 billion pounds, or about $43 billion, by the fiscal year covering 2023 and 2024.
The election was buffeted by a stabbing attack near London Bridge that killed two people, as well as the assailant, an Islamic extremist who had been released from prison. The police classified it as an act of terrorism, and it prompted a debate over sentencing for extremists. The government said it would set up a Royal Commission to review the criminal justice system and pass new espionage legislation to help law enforcement agencies cope with hostile state actors and domestic threats.
Mr. Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament for several weeks was overturned by the country’s Supreme Court in September, and his new plan for government includes a move to review the powers of the country’s top judges. A new Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission will develop proposals to review the country’s constitutional arrangements. It also promised a tougher stand on crime, increasing sentences for violent and sexual offenders and requiring those convicted of the worst offenses, including terrorism, to serve more of their sentences.
There will also be a move eventually to scrap an act of Parliament that makes it hard for prime ministers to call a general election at a time of their choosing. During the final days of the campaign, Britain was rattled by a stabbing attack near London Bridge that killed two people, as well as the assailant, an Islamic extremist who had been released from prison. The police classified it as an act of terrorism, and it prompted a debate over sentencing for extremists.
While the ceremony had many of the rituals of previous queen’s speeches — members of the House of Commons were summoned to the House of Lords by the Lady Usher of the Black Rod, who bangs her staff on the door to their chamber — the queen arrived in a limousine rather than a gilded, horse-drawn carriage. Mr. Johnson is taking aim at the court that ruled against him for suspending Parliament. He plans to review the powers of the nation’s top judges through a new Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission. And having bridled under an act of Parliament that makes it hard for prime ministers to call a general election at a time of their choosing, he is now moving to scrap it.
The queen, having gone through the entire exercise 60 days earlier, was not keen to repeat every aspect of the ritual. Since her last appearance, the queen has had her own turmoil to deal with — the withdrawal of her second son, Prince Andrew, from his public duties after a storm of outrage over an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. “This is not a program for one year or one Parliament,” Mr. Johnson declared in the House of Commons “It is a blueprint for the future of Britain.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the vanquished leader of the Labour Party, claimed in Parliament on Thursday that the prime minister had appropriated much of his social agenda from the opposition, and mocked him for having to pass a law to force his own government to invest in the National Health Service. But when Mr. Corbyn took credit for shifting the debate, he was met with hoots of derision from the Conservative backbenches.
For all of Mr. Johnson’s efforts to turn the page on Brexit, it still hangs over the country — and is likely to continue to do so.
His government will propose bills on agriculture, fisheries and trade — areas where Britain will assume powers now exercised by the European Union. There will be laws to create a new immigration system, which could be in place at the end of 2020 and would remove the special status that citizens of other European Union countries currently have in Britain.
Mr. Johnson will enshrine in law his pledge to finish negotiations on a trade deal by the end of 2020, ruling out any extension of the transition period. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described that timetable as “extremely challenging.” Analysts say it raised the prospect of a so-called “no-deal Brexit,” which they said would be economically disastrous.
In Britain’s topsy-turvy year, when conventions were shattered and norms discarded, the ceremony on Thursday was a return to the reassuring rituals. Members of the House of Commons were summoned to the House of Lords by the Lady Usher of the Black Rod, who banged her staff on the door after the lawmakers had, by custom, slammed it in her face.
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Corbyn walked together between the chambers, the prime minister making a cheerful effort to engage his defeated rival while the Labour leader studiously ignored him.
But the queen, having gone through the entire exercise two months earlier, was not keen to repeat every part of it. Since October, she has had her own turmoil to deal with: the suspension of her second son, Prince Andrew, from his public duties after a storm of outrage over an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
She will next address the British people on Christmas Day.