Johnson promises a ‘golden age’ for Britain in ‘radical’ Queen’s Speech

Boris Johnson has promised to make the 2020s a ‘‘new golden age’’ for Britain as he set out his vision for a decade in Downing Street.

In what he called ‘‘the most radical Queen’s Speech in a generation’’, the prime minister listed no fewer than 36 Government Bills yesterday that he will use to ‘‘repay the trust’’ of all those who voted Tory last week.

Today MPs will vote on the first of them, the European Union Withdrawal Bill, which was published yesterday and guarantees Britain will leave the EU on January 31. It also ensures that the transition period, during which a trade deal will be negotiated, cannot by law go beyond December 31 next year.

Johnson left little doubt that he was planning for life in No 10 beyond the next general election as he invited voters to ‘‘imagine what this country could be in 10 years’ time’’. The prime minister, who is determined to keep up the momentum of his election victory by getting Brexit out of the way and moving on to an ambitious legislative agenda, said that there was ‘‘no time to waste’’.

The Government announced that the Brexit department would be disbanded on January 31 as a sign that ministers will pivot their focus to domestic policies.

Johnson said the start of a new decade also marked ‘‘the beginning of a new dawn for our country’’, with MPs returning in January to ‘‘immediately finish the job’’ by completing the passage of the legislation through Parliament. The second Queen’s Speech in three months also included pledges on setting up a royal commission on the criminal justice system to make it more victim-focused, enhancing workers’ rights.

Other measures that had already been announced include a legal guarantee of £33.9 billion (NZ$66.7b) extra in annual NHS funding by 2023-24, tougher sentences for terrorists and violent offenders, more money for schools, 20,000 more police officers and £100 billion for infrastructure projects.