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Reaction to Queen's Speech Reaction to Queen's Speech
(about 2 hours later)
Politicians and others give their reaction to the 29 bills and draft bills outlined in Gordon Brown's first Queen's Speech as prime minister.Politicians and others give their reaction to the 29 bills and draft bills outlined in Gordon Brown's first Queen's Speech as prime minister.
DAVID CAMERON, CONSERVATIVE LEADERDAVID CAMERON, CONSERVATIVE LEADER
The Queen's Speech doesn't represent - and you don't represent - any real change. You know how to talk about change. But the trouble is you can't deliver change. That is what the whole country discovered this autumn. Yes, you can do the gestures. You can wear the blue tie. You can speak in front of the blue background. You can even get Lady Thatcher round for tea. But when it comes to real, substantive change, this prime minister is not capable of offering anything new. Cameron calls Brown a 'weak' PMThe Queen's Speech doesn't represent - and you don't represent - any real change. You know how to talk about change. But the trouble is you can't deliver change. That is what the whole country discovered this autumn. Yes, you can do the gestures. You can wear the blue tie. You can speak in front of the blue background. You can even get Lady Thatcher round for tea. But when it comes to real, substantive change, this prime minister is not capable of offering anything new. Cameron calls Brown a 'weak' PM
VINCENT CABLE, ACTING LIB DEM LEADERVINCENT CABLE, ACTING LIB DEM LEADER
The legislative programme is firmly rooted in the Blair era. There is very little new. No ideas, no vision. Is this what we have been waiting for? Perhaps, lurking in this Queen's Speech, is a genuinely big idea - aConservative-Labour grand coalition of policies and ideas. Brown lacks vision, say Lib Dems The legislative programme is firmly rooted in the Blair era. There is very little new. No ideas, no vision. Is this what we have been waiting for? Perhaps, lurking in this Queen's Speech, is a genuinely big idea - aConservative-Labour grand coalition of policies and ideas. Brown lacks vision, say Lib Dems
JON CRUDDAS, LABOUR MP HARRIET HARMAN, LABOUR DEPUTY LEADER
The last couple of months have been a bit bumpy ... He said himself when he called off the election that he hadn't done enough in terms of stating his vision. He can't do that overnight; it's not an on-off switch you hit and I think he has done a lot of good work today to begin tobuild that. We have to listen to what people are saying are the issues in their lives - wanting to be able to have more time with their children at home as well as being able to go out to work ... wanting to make sure that there's affordable housing for the next generation. It's listening to those concerns that people have that shape this legislative programme and that's what we'll be getting on with.
ANGUS ROBERTSON, SNP
Our concerns today about the Queen's Speech, frankly, are the things that are not in it. There is not legislation there that would bring measures forward that would help the Scottish economy grow, for the country to be more successful. That is not in the Queen's Speech. We think that is an omission. The government's chosen to concentrate on English-only matters and so - from an SNP perspective, from a Scottish perspective - it is a missed opportunity.
WILLIAM HAGUE, CONSERVATIVE
We have got a government here that has a terrible record of wasting an enormous amount of money. £500m spent on literacy initiatives, but the report the other day showed that literacy in this country had not improved. A billion pounds spent on truancy initiatives. But truancy went up through that period. So all the time we have got to ask the questions, how are they going to spend the money, are they going to produce education of the quality that is necessary?
NICK CLEGG, LIB DEM MPNICK CLEGG, LIB DEM MP
Is anyone any clearer what Gordon Brown stands for after today's Queen's Speech? The answer is clear: legislative hyperactivity, headline-grabbing rhetoric on terrorism, and empty rhetoric about the need for aspiration in a society which has become more, rather than less, unequal.Is anyone any clearer what Gordon Brown stands for after today's Queen's Speech? The answer is clear: legislative hyperactivity, headline-grabbing rhetoric on terrorism, and empty rhetoric about the need for aspiration in a society which has become more, rather than less, unequal.
JON CRUDDAS, LABOUR MP
The last couple of months have been a bit bumpy ... He said himself when he called off the election that he hadn't done enough in terms of stating his vision. He can't do that overnight; it's not an on-off switch you hit and I think he has done a lot of good work today to begin tobuild that.
DAVE PRENTIS, UNISONDAVE PRENTIS, UNISON
We welcome the direction of thisambitious programme. Everyone wants better education for their kids, better housing, healthcare, children's services, and they want a safe, clean environment. What the speech lacked, however, was a clear indication that the privatisation programme will be halted. The emphasis on commissioning roles in local government and health and the dangers that poses to the fabric of our public services remain in place.We welcome the direction of thisambitious programme. Everyone wants better education for their kids, better housing, healthcare, children's services, and they want a safe, clean environment. What the speech lacked, however, was a clear indication that the privatisation programme will be halted. The emphasis on commissioning roles in local government and health and the dangers that poses to the fabric of our public services remain in place.
MILES TEMPLEMAN, INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORSMILES TEMPLEMAN, INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS
Gordon Brown's first Queen's Speech shows that government still thinks it can solveeverything by legislation and regulation. The package addresses many of the right issues - especially skills, energyand transport- but too often the proposals are about government imposing top-down plans, rather than government making it easier for businesses,individuals and communities to find the solutions that work best for them.Gordon Brown's first Queen's Speech shows that government still thinks it can solveeverything by legislation and regulation. The package addresses many of the right issues - especially skills, energyand transport- but too often the proposals are about government imposing top-down plans, rather than government making it easier for businesses,individuals and communities to find the solutions that work best for them.