Boris Johnson was accused of being “bereft of ideas or purpose", after a Queen's speech yesterday that included 38 new bills but offered no specific measures to tackle the immediate cost of living crisis.
Instead, the speech, delivered by the Prince of Wales amid the pomp of the state opening of parliament, included plans to tear up the Human Rights Act, to make it harder for councils to rename streets and to privatise Channel 4.
The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said the speech showed the government had no guiding principle, while Torsten Bell, the director of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, was equally withering.
“British politics is out of ideas," he said. "Further action has been promised on the cost of living, but there certainly wasn't any in the Queen's speech. It rightly highlighted the need for growth - the essential precondition for ending our living standards stagnation - but did little to actually bring it about." With the Queen unable to give the address for the first time in almost 60 years, Prince Charles began by saying: “My government's priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families.” However, Johnson's programme for the new parliamentary session included a string of well-trailed and controversial plans, including banning disruptive protests and preventing universities from "no-platforming” speakers, but few new policies likely to boost the economy in the short term.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 11, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 11, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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