Queen’s Speech confirms EU poll
PRIME Minister David Cameron’s government confirmed it will hold a referendum on whether Britain should leave the European Union in a policy speech read by Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, on Westminster’s grandest day.
The 89-year-old monarch also set the stage for further budget austerity under Cameron’s newly elected centre-right government.
Wearing a crown and full ceremonial dress, the queen said Britain would pursue reform of the European Union for the benefit of all member states.
“Alongside this, early legislation will be introduced to provide for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union by the end of 2017.”
The Queen’s Speech also featured plans to hand more powers to Scotland and prohibit raising three main taxes – income tax, VAT and national insurance – for the next five years, despite planned cuts to reduce Britain’s deficit, including welfare savings of £12-billion (R222.6-billion).
The monarch was delivering the 62nd Queen’s Speech of her reign.
Thousands of people were expected to hold an anti-austerity protest in central London after the speech. The EU referendum bill is to be published today. Cameron, who addresses the House of Commons after the Queen’s Speech, embarks on a tour of European capitals including Paris, Warsaw and Berlin today as he pushes for reforms which he says are necessary before the referendum. His goals include controlling migration by making it harder for EU migrants to claim benefits in Britain.
The government is also introducing new powers to ban “extremist organisations”, and a communications bill, which could oblige cellphone companies and internet service providers to hand individuals’ browsing data to security services. – AFP