Her Maj forced to read list of undeliverable pledges

THE Queen was forced to reel off a list of Boris Johnson’s empty election promises as she reopened Parliament yesterday.

The Queen’s Speech led to furious claims the 93-year-old monarch was being exploited for political purposes as the Tories gear up for an expected election.

At yesterday’s State Opening, the Prime Minister vowed to make Britain “the greatest place on Earth” with “an ambitious programme to unite our country with energy and optimism”.

In a written introduction to the Queen’s Speech, Boris Johnson promised “one of the greatest eras of infrastructure investment in everything from rail to roads to gigabit broadband” as he aimed to “get the gears on our national gearbox working again” after Brexit.

But TUC chief Frances O’Grady said: “This Queen’s Speech was a political stunt, not a serious set of commitments.

“If Boris Johnson really wanted to rebuild Britain, he wouldn’t be threatening working families with the hardest possible Brexit.

“Working people shouldn’t trust this Prime Minister.”

Naomi Smith, of the antiBrexit Best for Britain campaign, said: “Today’s Queen’s speech was quite simply a Conservative Party election broadcast. Despite these grand spending promises, the Prime Minister must know his party’s obsession with leaving the EU will prevent any of them coming to fruition.”

Opposition parties blasted the PM’s decision to trigger a Queen’s Speech, setting out Conservative plans that he has virtually no chance of getting through the Commons.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “There has never been such a farce as a Government with a majority of minus 45 and a 100% record of defeat in the Commons setting out a legislative agenda they know cannot be delivered in this Parliament.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “The Queen’s Speech was an election broadcast for the Tory Party more than anything else.” Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson, pictured below, called it “a charade”.

Plans to boost animal welfare, create an Office for Veterans’ Affairs and to push through what Mr Johnson dubbed a “momentous new Environment Bill” were among 22 Bills unveiled. Pledges included a shake-up of social care, tougher terms for the most serious criminals and confirmation of a Mirror victory in outlawing imports from trophy hunting. Eduardo Goncalves of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting said: “The Daily Mirror’s support has been absolutely key to this victory.”

Instead of the Imperial State Crown, the Queen wore the lighter George IV diadem. She was helped up and down the steps by Prince Charles.