Economic growth seen as Britain’s saviour

LONDON: Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised yesterday to revive Britain’s economic growth to help those struggling with a costofliving crisis and to tackle regional inequalities after setting out his government’s agenda for the coming months.

Johnson said his ruling Conservative Party would ‘‘deliver on the promises we made’’ in the 2019 election.

The plans, contained in the Queen’s Speech, were read out at the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years not by the Queen (96) but by her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, due to the monarch’s mobility problems.

But there was little to comfort the millions of Britons struggling with higher fuel and food costs, with the government reiterating that it would ‘‘repair the public finances’’ rather than channel additional money to cushion the blow.

Earlier, in a ceremony full of pomp and pageantry, Charles, who wore the uniform of an admiral of the fleet, read the speech in front of robed lords and lawmakers, who had walked from the House of Commons to the upper chamber, the House of Lords, led by Johnson and opposition Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The Queen’s Speech set out 38 Bills, including measures to revitalise high streets, crack down on illicit finance and make the City, London’s financial district, more attractive to global investors.— Reuters