Queen’s speech: plan to overhaul housing policy and human rights law as Prince Charles sets out government’s agenda – live

Here is the clip of Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer chatting on their way to listen to the Queen’s speech.

The beergate controversy does seem to be having a significant, but not catastrophic, impact on Keir Starmer’s poll ratings, new figures from YouGov suggest. But Stamer still has a clear lead over Boris Johnson on the best PM measure.

Here are comments from two leftish thinktankers on the Queen’s speech.

From Ian Mulheirn, head of policy at the Tony Blair Institute

From Torsten Bell, head of the Resolution Foundation

In a Twitter thread starting here, the Resolution Foundation has more on the econonomic problems facing the UK that it thinks the Queen’s speech is not addressing.

Plaid Cymru has criticised the Queen’s speech. This is from Liz Saville Roberts, its leader at Westminster.

This Queen’s Speech was a disappointing series of platitudes by a government utterly detached from reality. This legislative programme will do nothing to address the worsening cost-of-living crisis and will only deepen divisions by persevering with an increasingly authoritarian agenda.

Here is some trade union reaction to the Queen’s speech.

Referring to the absense of an employment bill in the package, Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, said:

The prime minister promised to make Britain the best place in the world to work. But he has turned his back on working people.

Today, bad bosses up and down the country will be celebrating.

No employment bill means vital rights that ministers had promised – like default flexible working, fair tips and protection from pregnancy discrimination – risk being ditched for good.

And it means no action on the scourge of insecure work and ending exploitative practices like zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire.

This is from Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary.

Workers and communities are suffering. We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and a recession is looming. So where is the programme to address these issues head on? Where are the laws to stop profiteering and prevent attacks on workers? Where is the help for the millions who are already faced with the shocking decision of whether to heat or eat?

And these are from Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison.

These are from Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, on the Queen’s speech.

This is from Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, on the Queen’s speech.

This Queen’s speech does nothing to help the millions of families and pensioners facing soaring bills and eye watering inflation. The Conservatives have failed to deliver a cut to VAT that would have saved families an average of £600, failed to help pensioners and failed to help the most vulnerable in our society.

The Conservatives are continuing to neglect rural communities. There was nothing in these plans to support farmers on the brink, to tackle soaring ambulance waiting times and GP shortages, or to stop the dumping of filthy sewage into our river and seas.

It shows a prime minister refusing to listen to the clear message sent by voters at last week’s local elections who are fed up of being taken for granted by this Conservative government.

Last week it emerged that ministers have drawn up legislation that would give them power to abandon large parts of the Northern Ireland protocol. The bill would present this in terms of giving ministers powers to protect the Good Friday agreement.

The bill was not referred to directly in the Queen’s speech, and the bill does not get an explicit mention in the 139-page briefing document released by the government explaining the measures in legislative programme. (It is not online yet, but I will post a link when it goes up.)

But the Queen’s speech did implicitly refer to this legislation. The Prince of Wales said:

The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to Her Majesty’s government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts.

The main unionist objection to the protocol is that it does disrupt those internal economic bonds – as was obvious from the moment Boris Johnson signed it.

Charles also said:

Her Majesty’s government will ensure the constitution is defended.

Unionists argue that the protocol undermines the constitution; some of them even took the government to court on these grounds (so far unsuccessfully).

In the briefing pack on the Queen’s speech the government says:

As we have seen following the elections in Northern Ireland, the problems caused by the protocol continue to stand in the way of an Executive being formed. In the interests of all communities of Northern Ireland, the protocol needs to change. We urge our partners in the EU to work with us, with new imagination and flexibility, to deliver that.

We will continue to talk with the EU but we will not let that stand in the way of protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland. As any responsible government would, we will take the steps necessary to protect all dimensions of the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement and meet our obligations under the New Decade New Approach Deal to protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.

Here is a summary of what is in the Queen’s speech from my colleagues Jessica Elgot and Heather Stewart.

And this is how it starts.

Boris Johnson has pledged to ensure local people benefit from new housing developments and promised to overhaul human rights law, in a Queen’s speech designed to woo back disenchanted Conservative voters.

Standing in for the Queen, Prince Charles announced plans for 38 new laws including a levelling-up bill giving local leaders powers to tackle decaying high streets.

Local people will be given powers to shape planning decisions, in a pared-back set of changes aimed at avoiding the risk of infuriating voters in Tory heartlands by unleashing a building boom.

And this is how Charles concluded.

In this year of the Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

Finally, some remaining measures.

Her Majesty’s Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes.. Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy. Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football.