This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/26/the-queens-speech-your-bill-by-bill-guide-to-the-next-parliament
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Queen's speech 2015: a bill-by-bill guide to the next parliament | |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Wednesday’s state opening of parliament will mark the first day of the new parliamentary year. The Queen will read a speech written by the new Conservative government, setting out its agenda for the coming session. | Wednesday’s state opening of parliament will mark the first day of the new parliamentary year. The Queen will read a speech written by the new Conservative government, setting out its agenda for the coming session. |
| Following the general election on the 7 May, the Tories now have a majority of 12, which – although fragile – allows them to pursue many of their manifesto policies and some of the bills they failed to get past the Liberal Democrats in the coalition government. These are expected to include: | Following the general election on the 7 May, the Tories now have a majority of 12, which – although fragile – allows them to pursue many of their manifesto policies and some of the bills they failed to get past the Liberal Democrats in the coalition government. These are expected to include: |
| EU referendum | EU referendum |
| David Cameron made a promise to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017, a key pledge before the general election in a bid to pacify the right wing of his party and Tory voters thinking of voting for Ukip. The EU referendum bill will propose that the franchise for the referendum remains the same as in general elections, something Labour may challenge with a bid to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds. | David Cameron made a promise to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017, a key pledge before the general election in a bid to pacify the right wing of his party and Tory voters thinking of voting for Ukip. The EU referendum bill will propose that the franchise for the referendum remains the same as in general elections, something Labour may challenge with a bid to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds. |
| Related: Restricted franchise in EU referendum would make a mockery of democracy | Letters | Related: Restricted franchise in EU referendum would make a mockery of democracy | Letters |
| Housing | Housing |
| The Department for Communities and Local Government announced on Tuesday that the government would be pressing ahead with the extension of Margaret Thatcher’s infamous right-to-buy scheme, which will allow England’s 1.3 million housing association tenants to purchase their homes with the same discounts offered to council tenants. | The Department for Communities and Local Government announced on Tuesday that the government would be pressing ahead with the extension of Margaret Thatcher’s infamous right-to-buy scheme, which will allow England’s 1.3 million housing association tenants to purchase their homes with the same discounts offered to council tenants. |
| Snoopers’ charter | Snoopers’ charter |
| With the Liberal Democrats gone, the draft communications and data bill (better known as the snoopers’ charter) is back. In the last parliament, the Conservatives’ coalition partner blocked the bill, which would require internet service providers and mobile phone companies to keep records of their customers’ internet browsing activity and make the data available to the security services. | With the Liberal Democrats gone, the draft communications and data bill (better known as the snoopers’ charter) is back. In the last parliament, the Conservatives’ coalition partner blocked the bill, which would require internet service providers and mobile phone companies to keep records of their customers’ internet browsing activity and make the data available to the security services. |
| Employment | Employment |
| Before the election, the Conservative party said it would create 3m more apprenticeships with the money raised from lowering the benefits cap from £26,000 to £23,000. Since the election, new business secretary Sajid Javid has made it clear that the party’s plans to reform strike laws – forbidding strike action unless 40% of those eligible vote in favour – are a priority in this parliament. | Before the election, the Conservative party said it would create 3m more apprenticeships with the money raised from lowering the benefits cap from £26,000 to £23,000. Since the election, new business secretary Sajid Javid has made it clear that the party’s plans to reform strike laws – forbidding strike action unless 40% of those eligible vote in favour – are a priority in this parliament. |
| Children | Children |
| The Conservatives have promised to increase the amount of free childcare available to parents from around 15 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds to 30 hours a week from 2017. The party also announced plans for a new schools bill that would include the power to force under-performing schools to accept new leadership and extend the free schools programme to create an extra 270,000 places by 2020. | The Conservatives have promised to increase the amount of free childcare available to parents from around 15 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds to 30 hours a week from 2017. The party also announced plans for a new schools bill that would include the power to force under-performing schools to accept new leadership and extend the free schools programme to create an extra 270,000 places by 2020. |
| Human rights | Human rights |
| The Conservative party’s manifesto included plans to abolish the Human Rights Act, replacing it with a British bill of rights and making the British supreme court the “ultimate arbiter of human rights matters in the UK”. | The Conservative party’s manifesto included plans to abolish the Human Rights Act, replacing it with a British bill of rights and making the British supreme court the “ultimate arbiter of human rights matters in the UK”. |
| Tax | Tax |
| In the desperate final days of the election campaign, David Cameron promised to enshrine in law a guarantee not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance before 2020. He also said he would pass a law to ensure those working 30 hours a week on the minimum wage pay no income tax at all. | In the desperate final days of the election campaign, David Cameron promised to enshrine in law a guarantee not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance before 2020. He also said he would pass a law to ensure those working 30 hours a week on the minimum wage pay no income tax at all. |
| Scotland | Scotland |
| Cameron has pledged to include a bill on Scottish devolution in the Queen’s speech, saying he would look at the arguments for further powers going to Scotland after implementing the Smith commission recommendations first. The cross-party Smith commission agreement includes plans to give Holyrood the power to set income tax rates and bands. | Cameron has pledged to include a bill on Scottish devolution in the Queen’s speech, saying he would look at the arguments for further powers going to Scotland after implementing the Smith commission recommendations first. The cross-party Smith commission agreement includes plans to give Holyrood the power to set income tax rates and bands. |