In her prepared speech at the State Opening of Parliament, the queen said the British government’s priority is to secure the United Kingdom’s (UK) departure from the European Union on October 31st and added that the government intends to work towards a new partnership with the EU.
“The government’s new economic plan will be underpinned by a responsible fiscal strategy,” the queen noted. “The government will bring forward a national infrastructure strategy.”
The queen refrained from making any other comments regarding Brexit talks and the GBP/USD pair was last seen trading at 1.2558, erasing 0.7% on a daily basis.
Boris Johnson’s government has set out “ambitious” policies on crime, health, the environment and Brexit in a Queen’s Speech that opposition parties have dismissed as an “election manifesto”.
Plans for tougher sentences for violent offenders and legal targets for cutting plastic pollution are among 26 bills set out at Parliament’s State Opening.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said it was a “long shopping list”.
But with the PM having no majority, many of the bills may not become law.
Our political editor said the PM was keen to focus on “bread and butter issues” like funding for schools and the NHS, or coming up with, at long last, a new way of caring for the elderly.
But she said there was no guarantee the legislative programme would be approved by Parliament. If MPs reject it, it will trigger renewed calls for a general election.
Labour has described the whole exercise as a political “stunt” while the Lib Dems said Mr Johnson couldn’t deliver on his promises as Brexit would make the UK poorer.
