The Queen's Speech: Proposals Explained

MPs are informed of the Queen’s arrival by a government official known as Black Rod. The Queen’s Speech is written by government ministers but read out by the Queen. 

The contents which the Queen read out included the following: 

• The government will attempt to create a new friendly partnership with the European Union. [European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill] 

• The government ministers will attempt to put into place new viable methods for agriculture, the fishing industry and merchantry that come up from leaving the European Union. [Fisheries Bill, Agriculture Bill and Trade Bill] 

• The government ministers will keep working to improve the laws in the Mental Health Act in order to increase the level of care for those receiving the respective treatment. 

• They will be committed to give police officers the protection that they require to do their duty to keep the UK safe. [Police Protections Bill] 

• Police officers will also receive the power to arrest people who are wanted internationally. [Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill] 

• The government believes that they will take precautions to ensure that the financial services and the legal sectors will be given new opportunities as well as maintaining the level of stability in these sectors. [Financial Services Bill and Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill] 

• They propose new laws of sentencing which will mean that the most serious of offenders will spend longer in custody to reflect the severity of their crimes more accurately. [Sentencing Bill] 

• The justice system will change under Boris Johnson’s government and aims to protect people and their families if they are victims of domestic abuse. [Domestic Abuse Bill] 

• They want to limit the impact of divorces on people, but it will be more focused on children. [Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill] 

• The government wants all young people to access education to prepare them for the world of work. 

• They want to make work fairer by introducing a Bill that will support those working hard at their jobs. [Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill] 

• They will set out new legislation to speed up the delivery of secure and fast broadband networks to many homes. [Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill] 

• Environmental concerns might be lifted as the government will take measures to improve the quality of air and water, restore natural habitats for animals and plants and to tackle pollution caused by plastic. [Environment Bill] 

The aforementioned bills decreed within the Queen’s Speech are not Laws and therefore can be turned down during votes by the House of Commons. These Bills however can have a massive impact on our lives if pushed through. For example, the Environment Bill claims if successfully passed it will improve the country’s quality of air and it has the potential to protect us from health conditions such as asthma and lung cancer if its regulations are implemented long-term. 

The government has also recently revealed a controversial plan for voters to show photographic ID in order to vote. Those in favour of the motion believe it will reduce electoral fraud. The plans, if they succeed, will be spread across the UK for general elections and in local elections in England. 

The Electoral Reform Society argued that introducing voter ID would be disproportionate in the voting system because not everyone would be able to show photographic ID. These IDs would include passports and driving licenses. If someone has never travelled outside of the United Kingdom and cannot drive, this would be a major problem for them. 

Since the Queen’s Speech took place, they will debate on the proposed policies for another 5 days- with a different topic up for discussion each day. Since the Queen’s Speech took place on Monday, one thing is certain, our lives in the United Kingdom will change. Whether it is for better or for worse? Only time will tell.