On Wednesday 18 May 2016 the Government will unveil its second Queen’s Speech since the 2015 General Election. Connect Communications provides an overview of some of the Bills that may be included in the speech and their likely content. Click here to read the full document.
In a normal year the Queen’s Speech would be the government’s moment to move on from a difficult Budget and a poorly received campaign for London Mayor. But this is a year like no other. Five weeks and one day after Her Majesty sets out the Government’s legislative agenda, the nation will go to the polls for the EU referendum. The Queen’s Speech is usually a big event in the political calendar but this year will be a sideshow even though the government will put forward a substantive legislative programme.
At the Conservative Party Conference in 2015 the Prime Minister, David Cameron, overtly moved to occupy the centre ground, vowing to tackle the country’s deepest social problems – poverty, lack of opportunity, discrimination and extremism. We expect the Bills announced in the Queen’s Speech to focus on these themes with, for example, new laws on adoption, education and tackling extremism. A new Bill on the prison system is also likely, following the Prime Minister’s call, earlier this year, for progressive reforms of the criminal justice system, with more emphasis on rehabilitation. With an eye on a future leadership contest, George Osborne told Andrew Marr this week that his was a vision of “a modern, compassionate Conservative Party that offers sober, serious, principled answers to the big problems the country faces...”. The Chancellor will want to use his influence to make sure that the Queen’s Speech reflects this vision.
Another tell of Osborne’s involvement will be the Bills that further boost the Northern Powerhouse. We should, for example, expect to see a Bill on infrastructure. Energy policy has been away from the front pages, but new laws are required to improve competition and ensure the rollout of smart meters. It will be interesting to see if the once burnished green credentials of this government have been abandoned. The ongoing row over junior doctors and legislation fatigue may give the NHS a break, although there are reports that measures will be brought forward to support NHS whistle-blowers.
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, presumed to be another candidate for the leadership, is expected to acquire new powers to tackle extremism. This is a tricky issue for the government, pitting as it does the Home Secretary against the Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove. Given the mudslinging around extremism from the Tories’ mayoral campaign and the Labour Party’s own anxieties around allegations of anti-Semitism, this could be a defining theme of the session.
Other measures will be needed to tie up loose ends around deregulation, water and local government. Also expect a token Bill on tax avoidance to follow the Prime Minister’s anti- corruption summit later this week.
The vote on 23rd June and speculation about a reshuffle will no doubt continue to dominate the news. But anyone interested in the impact of policy should continue to keep an eye on the House of Commons as well – there is life in David Cameron’s ambitions yet, even if most people are looking the other way.