DAVID Cameron has insisted the UK Government’s 20-Bill programme is a “One Nation Queen’s Speech from a One Nation Government” but Labour insisted it was the product of a weak administration that was “running out of steam”.
Environment Secretary Liz Truss stressed that the Tory Government had a "massive agenda to deliver" once the EU referendum was out of the way.
But the SNP's Joanna Cherry, ahead of Commons exchanges on the speech, dismissed it as all show and little substance.
"I am very underwhelmed by it. It is a rag-bag of proposals that Michael Gove brought out of his little purse to give Her Majesty. Much of it is recycled from last year.
"Amongst all this opulence and splendour, we need to remember that there are many people across British society who are struggling to make ends meet. I didn't hear anything in the speech for them," said the Edinburgh MP.
Meantime, the EU referendum debate overshadowed the UK Government’s set-piece occasion with Iain Duncan Smith, the leading Brexiteer, accusing the Prime Minister of ditching a proposed Sovereignty Bill in an attempt to improve his chances of winning the referendum on Britain's EU membership.
Also, the Government put off its proposed British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act by announcing it would be put out to further consultation.
Among the 20 Bills, 14 wholly or partially are UKwide and apply to Scotland.
These include:
*the Digital Economy Bill, creating new right to high-speed broadband for every household;
*the Modern Transport Bill, clearing the way for new spaceports, driverless cars and drones;
*the Better Markets Bill, making it easier for utility customers to switch providers;
*the Lifetime Savings Bill, establishing a Help to Save scheme and Lifetime ISAs and legislation for
*the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, which will introduce a new tax on sugar-rich fizzy drinks from April 2018.
Downing Street insisted the legislative programme was a bold agenda aimed at tackling barriers to opportunity such as in the new prison bill for England and Wales, measures to speed up adoption and improvements to the care system.
But Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: "It's clear from today's Queen's Speech that this is a failing Tory Government running out of steam. The flagship measure on prisons reform may seem familiar because it is…The idea David Cameron can seek to portray his programme for government as 'one nation' is nothing short of ludicrous. This is a Tory Government that has cut taxes for millionaires while making everyone else pay more.”
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, also mocked the Tories’ programme, saying: “The Queen's Speech is a stop-gap to give the warring factions of the Tory Party a couple of days' respite from the referendum. It does nothing to address the key issues at stake.
"This country's challenges on education, housing, investment, skills and the environment are either ignored or offered nothing more than empty rhetoric,” declared the Cumbrian MP.
Elsewhere, Mr Duncan Smith suggested the EU referendum had dominated the context of the Queen’s Speech.
He said: "Many Conservatives have become increasingly concerned that in the Government's helter-skelter pursuit of the referendum, they have been jettisoning or watering down key elements of their legislative programme."
The former cabinet minister added that "the much-vaunted Sovereignty Bill, key to the argument that the PM had secured a reform of the EU has been tossed aside as well".
Business leaders reflected positively on the Queen’s Speech.
CBI deputy director general Josh Hardie said: "Given the focus on the European Union referendum in this political cycle, it's particularly encouraging to see the Government's clear commitment to locking in growth, creating jobs and boosting investment to create a more prosperous society.
"Prioritising the digital revolution, which is transforming the face of modern business, is a key step to propelling the UK's productivity.
"Ensuring that broadband reaches all corners of the country will breed a new generation of companies in an increasingly competitive environment,” he added.
Adam Marshall, acting director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Businesses will see the merit in many of the Bills announced in the Queen's Speech, particularly the commitment to high-speed broadband for all households and business premises.
"If implemented in full and at pace, this could go some way to improving the poor digital connectivity that far too many firms face.
"Yet on most of the issues where business is impatient for action, what's needed are big decisions - not new legislation."
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