Vote on Brexit deal after ‘radical’ Queen’s Speech
Johnson ‘will end transport scandal and revolutionise UK infrastructure’
BORIS JOHNSON will put his Brexit deal before the Commons today after unveiling what he described as the “most radical Queen’s Speech in a generation”, with measures to toughen up criminal justice, invest in the NHS and deliver on the “people’s priorities”.
The Prime Minister’s legislative programme announced yesterday includes Bills which will ensure the most serious violent offenders – including terrorists – serve longer prison terms, a proposal he first announced in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack last month.
A Royal Commission will be established to improve the “efficiency and effectiveness” of the criminal justice process, and the Government will enshrine in law a commitment on the health service’s funding, with an extra £33.9 billion per year provided by 2023/24.
Of the 25 Bills detailed in Mr Johnson’s second Queen’s Speech in less than three months, seven are devoted to Britain’s departure from the EU – with legislation on trade, agriculture, fisheries, immigration, financial services and private international law.
The key Withdrawal
Agreement Bill (WAB), which implements the PM’s Brexit deal, would allow the UK to leave on January 31, and deliver an implementation period until December 31 2020.
Number 10 announced last night that the Bill would have its Second Reading in the Commons today, meaning MPs will start the process of passing the Bill.
There is due to be a vote in the afternoon, with the PM expected to open the Second Reading debate and Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay to close. It is expected that the legislation will then complete the remaining stages in the Commons and Lords and get Royal Assent as soon as possible in the new year, so the UK can leave the EU on time on January 31. Mr Johnson said: “Today we will deliver on the promise we made to the people and get the Brexit vote wrapped up for Christmas. After years of delay and rancour in Parliament, we will deliver certainty for hardworking businesses and people across this country will have a firm foundation on which to plan for the future.”
Yesterday’s Queen’s Speech contained a commitment for Ministers to seek cross-party consensus on proposals for longterm reform of social care – with a vow that no-one who needs care will have to sell their home to pay for it. But there were no precise details on how the Government would meet its pledge.
The State Opening of Parliament, which follows last week’s General Election, took place without some of the traditional ceremony, with the Queen arriving by car rather than carriage and wearing a mint green dress and hat.
A LONG-AWAITED mass transit system could finally be introduced in Leeds Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted he would address the fact the city is the largest in Western Europe without a light railway.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday after the Queen’s Speech, Mr Johnson claimed that his new administration would look at tackling the North of England’s creaking transport infrastructure as he looks to fulfil the Tories’ election pledge to tackle regional inequalities.
Mr Johnson’s pledge included a reference to overhauling the transport network in Leeds and was one of a number of measures aimed at keeping the faith of northern voters who had backed the Conservatives in last week’s General Election.
He said: “We will take forward our plans to rejuvenate and in some cases and in many cases revolutionise the infrastructure of Britain, including Northern Powerhouse Rail. And we shall remedy the scandal that Leeds should be the largest city in Western Europe without light rail or a metro.”
The Government’s plans unveiled yesterday in the second Queen’s Speech of the year were heralded by newly-elected Yorkshire MPs as showing Mr Johnson is “serious about re-balancing our economy” between the North and the South.
The Prime Minister’s legislative programme includes Bills which will give greater devolved powers to regions, proposals for long-term reform of social care, and “levelling up” areas such as the North.
The Queen said: “My Government will give communities more control over how investment is
spent so that they can decide what is best for them.”
The Government plans to publish a White Paper setting our their devolution strategy, but it is expected to include information on plans for full devolution across England, including increasing the number of mayors and doing more devolution deals.
Imran Ahmad Khan, the new Tory MP for Wakefield, said: “This is a Queen’s Speech which will truly bring benefits to the North and help repay those voters who put their faith in us last week. From the levelling up of our communities, to a strong message on devolution, to boosting productivity and growth, the plans this Conservative Government has in place show we are serious about re-balancing our economy.”
And Jason McCartney, the new Conservative MP for Colne Valley, added: “I’m delighted we’re going to deliver more devolved funding deals, we’re accelerating the rollout of superfast broadband, investing £100bn to upgrade infrastructure, and helping our struggling high streets with a cut to business rates.”
But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Johnson has made “many promises to many different parts of the country”, including on problems created by the Conservatives in government, adding: “There can no longer be any doubt that austerity has caused unnecessary suffering for millions of people all across this country. The communities to whom the Prime Minister made his promises will now judge him on whether he keeps them.”
Alexander Stafford, the newly-elected MP for Rother Valley, claimed the plans would “supercharge” Yorkshire”.
Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, said: “It will come as no surprise that delivering Brexit and the NHS were top of the list of the Government’s priorities, but I was also very pleased that there are to be measures to ensure every part of the UK will prosper and that there will be a greater share of investment spent in our region.
“This will include investment in our digital, transport and energy infrastructure and proposals to enable communities to have more control about how the money is spent. Narrowing the North-South divide and devolving powers to regions are two issues for which I have been campaigning hard.”
Mr Johnson said he had unveiled the “most radical Queen’s Speech in a generation”.