UK Politics

A package of measures unveiled by Boris Johnson today with a promise to get Britain “back on track” after the Covid pandemic contained no new support for households struggling with the cost of living.Announcing his legislative programme for the year ahead, the prime minister acknowledged that families are “anxious about the future” and promised to monitor the situation over the coming months and help “where we can”.But he poured cold water on any further imminent steps to ease the burden of skyrocketing inflation – predicted to top 10 per cent before the end of 2022 – warning that any such measures will have to be balanced against the need to keep public finances on a “sustainable footing”.Mr Johnson attempted to use the Queen’s Speech to draw a line under Covid and the Partygate scandal and reset his premiership on a more positive course for the general election due by 2024 at the latest.He said it would focus on the government’s three top priorities – “growing the economy, safer streets and supporting the NHS to clear the Covid-19 backlogs”.The 38 bills announced by the Prince of Wales – standing in for the Queen after the 96-year-old monarch pulled out due to “mobility problems” – included measures to regenerate disadvantaged areas through “levelling up” and to develop the UK’s green energy capacity.Six years on from the EU referendum and two years after the UK left the 27-nation bloc, it included a Brexit Freedoms Bill, which Mr Johnson said would allow the removal or revision thousands of pieces of Brussels-derived law still on the statute book.He claimed that this would “lighten the burden” of regulation on UK businesses, many of which are currently reeling under the additional load of red tape created by Brexit.The package featured highly controversial plans to scrap the Human Rights Act, which enshrines the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, and replace it with a British Bill of Rights which lawyers warn will put Britain on collision course with Strasbourg.A Transport Bill will create a new Great British Railways governing body, while a Media Bill will pave the way for the highly contentious sell-off of Channel 4.A Genetic Technology Bill risks furious debate over plans to allow the “precision breeding” of animals and plants through futuristic gene-editing techniques.A Schools Bill will aim to get 90 per cent of primary school children to expected standards in reading, writing and maths by 2030. And a Conversion Therapy Bill will introduce a criminal offence of attempting to “convert” people away from homosexual orientation – but will controversially not cover transgender people.New measures will protect Army veterans from prosecution for alleged crimes committed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. And a National Security Bill promises “the biggest overhaul of state threats legislation for a generation” updating official secrets legislation dating back a century in order to bring it into the modern world of cyberattacks and online disinformation.But there was no place for promised animal welfare legislation to ban imports of fur and foie gras, reportedly ditched for being too “un-Conservative”.And despite sabre-rattling from foreign secretary Liz Truss, there was no promise of legislation to override Mr Johnson’s Northern Ireland Protocol, which has disrupted commerce in the province since its negotiation by the prime minister as part of his Brexit deal.Unveiling the package, Mr Johnson made clear he hoped to revive the spirit of optimism which he deployed in the 2019 general election but which has been dealt heavy blows by the pandemic and the failure so far to deliver on ambitious promises to “level up” the country.“This is a Queen’s Speech to get our country back on track and ensure that we deliver on the promises we made at the start of this Parliament,” said the prime minister.“Together, these measures make this Queen’s Speech one that will help us meet today’s challenges. They will ensure we can continue building back a better Britain after the pandemic, boosting our growth and recovery so that every part of our country can thrive.”He said that the government had already provided £22bn to help with cost-of-living pressures in 2022/23, including a £200 loan to cover heating bills and a £150 discount on council tax for poorer households.But he continued to set his face against calls for an emergency budget to deliver more assistance, instead offering to unleash “ingenuity and compassion and hard work” in response to rising prices.“After two years of Covid-19, I know that the last thing people need are further challenges,” said Mr Johnson. “I know people are struggling with their bills, and that they are anxious about the future.“But we will get the country through it just as we got through Covid-19, with every ounce of ingenuity and compassion and hard work.“While we must keep our public finances on a sustainable footing – and we cannot completely shield people from the fallout from global events – where we can help, we will.“And over the coming months we will continue examining what more we can do to ease the pressures on hard-working people and families.” More

The government has confirmed at the Queen’s Speech that trans people will not be covered in a long delayed ban on “abhorrent” conversion therapy practices.And the ban on homosexual conversion therapy will cover all attempts to induce children to switch their sexual orientation, but will apply to over-18s only if they do not consent to the process or are forced or coerced into undergoing “therapy”.It comes after Boris Johnson was forced to partially U-turn on leaked plans to drop a legislative ban on the discredited practises, which seek to suppress or change an individual’s sexuality or gender identity, entirely.After a major row with LGBT+ campaign groups, the prime minister swiftly recommitted to a legislative ban on conversion therapy for gay and bisexual people, but not for trans individuals.As expected, the Queen’s Speech makes clear a Conversion Therapy Bill, will be introduced seeking to “ban conversion therapy practices intended to change sexual orientation” which cause “extensive harm”.The government said the move will “protect people’s personal liberty to love who they want to love”.But despite describing the practice as “abhorrent”, the prime minister’s spokesperson said: “If you are over 18 you can consent to conversion therapy.” The principle of consent would not apply, however, where practices are deemed to cause “serious harm” to the subject of the supposed therapy.A document produced by the government said it would strengthen existing criminal law to ensure “violent conversion therapy is recognised as a potential aggravating factor upon sector”.A criminal offence will also be introduced “banning non-physical conversion therapies to complement existing legislation which protects people from act which inflict physical harm”.It will also ensure those found guilty of “conversion therapy offences have any profit they obtained from those crimes removed” and “strengthening the case for such individuals” from holding senior charity roles.Making clear trans conversion therapies won’t be covered by the proposed legislative ban, the document added: “Recognising the complexity of issues and the need for further careful thought, we will carry out separate work to consider the issue of transgender conversion therapy further”.The move — first unveiled last month — was met with dismay from LGBT groups, including over 100 organisations that pulled their support from the government’s long-touted international LGBT conference.Jayne Ozanne, a former government LGBT+ adviser, said that while she was “relieved” ministers were still pledging to ban the practice “they are creating so many loopholes and leaving so many people unprotected”.She added: “The government’s own research shows that trans people are twice as likely to be offered “conversion therapy” and it is an utter disgrace that they have purposefully omitted them from the ban. “The government’s duty is to protect the most vulnerable from abuse, not to side with the abusers. By creating a loophole of consent, the government continues to ignore the advice of legal experts and survivors like myself, who know that this will continue to put many lives at risk.” More

Boris Johnson’s government has revealed its controversial plan to bring in legislation to end the prosecution of veterans over Troubles-related killings and other legacy cases.The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech is aimed at making sure former soldiers are given immunity from criminal prosecution.It will also see a new, independent commission set up to help families find out what happened to loved ones in cases involving former members of the security forces and ex-paramilitaries.The government says veterans involved in hundreds of cases will be expected to provide information to the new commission – leaving open a route to prosecution if individuals do not cooperate.Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis first revealed the intention to end prosecutions last year – arguing it would help unionist and nationalist communities move “further along the road to reconciliation”. It was met with widespread outrage from all sides in Northern Ireland. Bereaved relatives who lost loved ones during the three decades of violence made clear their opposition to an “blanket” amnesty.However, the Republic of Ireland’s deputy premier welcomed the announcement that immunity for Troubles-related offences will depend on individuals co-operating with the information-retrieval body.“I think it’s good news that they’ve abandoned plans for a blanket amnesty for British soldiers and terrorists who may have been involved in crimes in Northern Ireland and elsewhere,” Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told RTE radio on Tuesday. No 10 said the plans was to introduce a system where immunity is guaranteed to individuals as long as they cooperate with the new commission. There will also be an “oral history” initiative allowing people from all communities to share their stories.Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The previous approach was not working. We believe that this will help with effective information recovery which provides answers for families and delivers on our commitments for Northern Ireland.”The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) currently has a caseload of more than 900 Troubles-related cases involving 1,200 deaths. The PSNI has estimated it would take 20 years to work through the cases.The Queen’s Speech did not contain any move to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol unilaterally, but the government has made clear it will take steps to ditch checks if the EU does not agree soon.Foreign secretary Liz Truss will reportedly move to discard large portions of the protocol – checks on all goods being sent from Britain to Northern Ireland – after giving up on Brexit negotiations with Brussels. More

Plans to empower a new competition regulator with the ability to stop tech giants abusing their dominant position have been included in the Queen’s Speech.The Government’s draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill would boost the Digital Markets Unit (DMU), giving it broader powers to enforce pro-competition rules on larger social media platforms and search engines such as Facebook and Google.The DMU launched last April within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and under the plans would be given statutory powers.Under the proposed legislation, the DMU would have the power to enforce new tailored codes of conduct for firms dominating digital markets, outlining how they should treat their users and other companies fairly, with tough sanctions including large fines for those who breach the rules.

The Government’s own research estimates that consumer detriment costs £54 billion a year, so it’s good to see that the Government is moving forward with plans to hand the CMA stronger powers to clamp down on firms that behave poorlyRocio Concha, Which?According to a Government briefing document on the Draft Bill, the DMU would also be given powers to “proactively address the root causes of competition issues in digital markets”.This could include imposing interventions to inject competition into the market, including obligations on tech firms to report new mergers and give consumers more choice and control over their data.Elsewhere, the Bill also proposes boosting the powers of the CMA, giving the regulator the ability to decide for itself when consumer law has been broken and issuing fines for those breaches.In addition, the Government said the Bill would update consumer law to clamp down on fake reviews, strengthen consumer rights and better protect the public from scams.In response, Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at consumer champion Which?, said the substance of the draft was promising, but a full Bill must be brought forward “urgently”.“The Government’s own research estimates that consumer detriment costs £54 billion a year, so it’s good to see that the Government is moving forward with plans to hand the CMA stronger powers to clamp down on firms that behave poorly,” she said.“The ability to impose significant fines on firms that break the rules should act as a deterrent for breaches of consumer law and prevent consumer rip-offs. In digital markets, it is vital that the Digital Markets Unit is given the appropriate powers to tackle the dominance of a handful of tech giants.“However, it is disappointing that this Bill is only in draft form. The Government must urgently prioritise the progress of this draft Bill so as to bring forward a full Bill to enact these vital changes as soon as possible.” More

A Bill of Rights will fulfil the Conservative dream of replacing Labour’s hated Human Rights Act – but critics warn it will rip up protections and put the UK on a collision course with Brussels.The Queen’s Speech argues the legislation will “end the abuse of the human rights framework and restore some common sense to our justice system”.It will make it easier to deport asylum seekers who claim the right to a family life to stay in the UK, stripping out the defence for anyone convicted of any “imprisonable” offence, it is expected.Drawn up by the justice secretary Dominic Raab, the Bill will ensure “spurious cases do not undermine public confidence in human rights so that courts focus on genuine and credible human rights claims”, it says.It will curb the “expansion of a rights culture without proper democratic oversight, which has displaced due focus on personal responsibility and the public interest”, the document argues.And it will seek to end or reduce damages in human rights claims by “ensuring that the courts consider the behaviour of the claimant when considering making an award”.Furious human rights campaigners accuse Mr Raab of a smokescreen in claiming the Bill is an attempt to protect free speech from “wokery and political correctness”.Injustices such as the Hillsborough tragedy and the failure to investigate ‘black cab rapist’ John Worboys may have never been exposed if the curbs were already in place, they fear.The crackdown will also block attempts to enforce human rights even before they reach a courtroom, despite “terrible abuses” being revealed only once a legal case starts, they say.And the plans for past “conduct” to be taken into account when claims are brought for rights violations will hit ethnic minority groups, it is feared.The Bill will establish “the primacy of UK case law”, so UK courts are not required to “follow” the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.Brexit legal experts have warned this risks retaliation from the EU, under the terms of the Christmas 2020 trade and cooperation agreement, which “locked in” the UK’s future commitment to the ECHR.Brussels can suspend the parts of the deal ensuring security cooperation if the UK does not sufficiently protect fundamental rights or the rule of law. More

The Northern Ireland protocol – despite sabre rattling from ministers on the issue in recent days the Queen’s Speech did not legislate to scrap the key part of Boris Johnson’s Brexit agreement, but did insist the deal “needs to change”. The cost of living – ministers did not unveil any new legislation despigned specifically to tackle the cost of living crisis. Although fiscal measures might be expected more during a Budget announcement that a legislative programme like the Queen’s Speech the government will face anger that it has failed to announce anything help to mitigate soaring household bills.Fur and foie gras legislation – ministers have dropped plans to ban the import of fur and foie gras. The measures had been included in the Animals Abroad Bill, which was scrapped earlier this year to the anger of campaigners, and have not been revived.Football regulator – ministers will face criticism for not bringing forward a Bill to establish an independent football regulator. The new body was recommended by a fan-led review into the game, which followed an outcry last year after moves to establish a European super league. Employment Bill – the government has been accused of “turning its back” on workers after the pledged Bill did not make the final draft of the Queen’s Speech. Unions warn legislation is needed to improve conditions for workers and deal with a rise in insecure work. More

A Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will attempt to finally put flesh on Boris Johnson’s troubled promise to revive struggling areas, widely criticised as vacuous.The wide-ranging legislation will do everything from extending devolution deals to granting new powers to bring empty premises back into use and allowing more al fresco dining.But at its heart will be a legal duty on the government to produce an annual progress report on the 12 “levelling up missions”, set out in Michael Gove’s plans earlier this year.These dozen aims range from boosting pay, jobs, transport connectivity and research and development spending in less-prosperous areas to “restoring local pride” in those communities.They have already been criticised for largely being vague, unambitious, or impossible to measure – and the target for delivering improvements is a distant 2030.The flagship policy has also been undermined by Rishi Sunak’s refusal to commit to any extra spending, despite the many ‘Red Wall’ Tories in vulnerable marginal seats in the North and Midlands.The Queen’s Speech says the Levelling Up Bill will:* Give all of England the “opportunity to benefit from a devolution deal by 2030 – giving local leaders the powers they need to drive real improvement in their communities”.* Create a local “non-negotiable levy to deliver the infrastructure that communities need, such as housing, schools, GPs and new roads” – replacing Section 106 agreements.* Give town halls “new powers to bring empty premises back into use and instigate rental auctions of vacant commercial properties in town centres and on high streets”* Give residents “more of a say over changing street names and ensuring everyone can continue to benefit from al fresco dining”.The description of the Bill is unlikely to kill criticism of vacuity, pledging to boost “economic dynamism and innovation to drive growth across the whole country, unleashing the power of the private sector to unlock jobs and opportunity for all”.And it betrays the concerns of Southern Tories, who fear their voters are turning away from the party over the perception that the “Red Wall’ is Mr Johnson’s priority.It states: “Levelling up is not about pulling down more prosperous areas, any particular points of the compass or preferment for any one part of the country at the expense of any other, but rather extending opportunity across the UK.” More