Queen’s Speech: Opposition leaders attack government for cost of living inaction and lack of employment bill
Opposition leaders have rounded on the government for inaction on the cost of living crisis and a lack of protection for workers, after ministers set out their fresh legislative agenda for the next session of parliament in the Queen’s Speech.
In a reaction to the Queen’s Speech, read by Prince Charles for the first time, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the speech did “nothing to help the millions of families and pensioners facing soaring bills and eye watering inflation”.
“The Conservatives have failed to deliver a cut to VAT that would have saved families an average of £600, failed to help pensioners and failed to help the most vulnerable in our society,” he said.
Davey added that the Tories had “neglected” rural communities, with no plans laid out “to support farmers on the brink”, or to tackle soaring ambulance waiting times and GP shortages.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said the government was “failing workers” and had failed to deliver protections pledged to workers.
The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas said the energy security bill outlined by government will fall down if ministers do not go further to ease the economic burden on consumers.
“Glad to see Energy Security Bill in Queens Speech, but it will ring hollow if it fails to provide a retrofit revolution to slash bills & energy demand,” she wrote on Twitter.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford levelled criticism at the government for its lack of further action to address the cost of living crisis, claiming the Tories had made a “political choice” to “sit on its hands”.
“Beyond the pomp, ceremony and rhetoric, the Queen’s Speech offered nothing to help people who are suffering under a Tory-made cost-of-living crisis and are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
“This was not just a missed opportunity – it was a political choice by a broken Tory government to sit on its hands while we face the biggest inflationary crisis in 50 years.
“Instead of tackling the Tory cost-of-living crisis and focusing on people’s priorities, Boris Johnson set out measures for a race to the bottom in standards through the ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ to repeal EU retained law and the other Brexit legislation,” he added
Business chiefs
The Federation of Small Business welcomed the “pro enterprise” tone of the address but said ministers now need to “put words into action”.
“Firms need the Government to deliver quickly on levelling-up commitments through plans for devolution, infrastructure investment and regulatory reform,” Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chair Martin McTague said.
“To date, a combination of a disappointing Shared Prosperity Fund settlement, rolling back of HS2 plans and withdrawal of the New Enterprise Allowance has left many in target areas feeling underwhelmed.”
McTague added that efforts to establish a new infrastructure bank, cement a roll-out of gigabit-capable broadband and improve 4G coverage across the UK “need to happen swiftly, targeting areas most in need”.