More to come from the PM on helping with cost of living?published at 15:30 British Summer Time 10 May 2022

15:30 BST 10 May 2022

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The main criticism we’ve heard from opposition parties is that the government hasn’t done enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.

There is a lot to this: the government clearly wants to move on from spending large amounts of cash. The focus is now growing the economy.

But can ministers really avoid more interventions?

There was a hint in the prime minister’s speech that the answer is no.

Boris Johnson said there would be more from him and the chancellor in the coming days. We’re trying to find out what that might mean.

Johnson pays tribute to David Amess, who was murdered during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex last year.

The prime minister says he’s proud to say Southend-on-Sea has been designated a city in his honour.

To start with, the PM focuses on his response to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying his government has worked hard to protect people across the UK.

“It’s because this government got the big calls right that we have the fastest growth in the G7,” he says.

He says this will give the government the “fiscal firepower” to address the cost of living crisis.

But he says the government also needs the “legislative firepower” to solve issues such as regional inequality.

With Starmer finished, the prime minister now steps up to the dispatch box as he responds to the opposition, to outline the details of his Queen’s Speech to MPs.

He thanks Prince Charles for delivering the speech and sends his warmest wishes to the Queen.

He hails her extraordinary service.

Starmer says the third challenge is "ending the poverty of ambition for our public services", referencing more funding for state schools and additional help for the mental health sector.

He says the government "takes the public for fools" over its plans for refurbishing hospitals and pledges to hire more GPs.

And he accuses them of not doing enough to invest into policing - "moving resources away to [the PM's] vanity projects like a ministerial yacht".

Closing his speech, the Labour leader says: "We have a government whose time has passed, a cabinet out of ideas and out of energy, led by a prime minister who is out of touch.

"It doesn't have to be this way... a Labour government would tackle the cost of living crisis head on and get Britain growing again."

Starmer says the UK "can't afford to go on like this", with low growth projected for the country.

He says a Labour government could have spent £40bn more on public services with its plans without any extra tax.

Again using his "government for the moment" phrase, he makes more suggestions of working with business and having a strong industrial strategy in Britain, as well as providing money for start-ups and rejuvenating town centres.

"Instead of that new approach... we have a chancellor who thinks it would be silly to do anything different," Starmer adds.

"A chancellor whose legacy with be low growth high inflation, high tax and with it the diminishing of Britain's living standards."

Starmer puts forward Labour's plans again for an emergency budget and a windfall tax.

But says it is not just about short-term measures, it is about planning for the future.

"That means standing up to those vested interest who oppose onshore wind," he says, "but this prime minister is too weak to stand up to his backbenchers."

The Labour leader also says insulation should be prioritised, but the PM is failing.

"It is the latest chapter in a pathetic response to the cost of living crisis," he says.

"And while there should have been support, there has been tax rise after tax rise."

Reality Check

Image source, .

The Queen’s Speech stated that the government’s priority is to “grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families”.

In his party conference speech in October, Boris Johnson promised to deliver a “high-wage, high-skill economy”.

The rate of inflation is 7% and is expected to rise to 10.25%, while growth in pay is up by just 4%.

Because prices are rising faster than earnings, the Bank of England (BoE) expects to see real wages fall back in 2022 to where they were in 2010, followed by a rebound in 2024 as inflation eases.

The BoE is also forecasting a 0.9% fall in GDP between October and December, with a modest 0.1% rebound in the first three months of 2023.

Now onto the cost of living crisis - and Starmer points to the record breaking inflation figures.

He says bills have gone up by hundreds of pounds, with people's wages running out by the end of the month.

"I wish I could say that the worse is over," he adds, but says the Bank of England says different.

"We are staring down the barrel of something we haven't seen in decades - a stagflation crisis".

He accuses the government of ignoring the red flags, and the PM of "making fun" of those worried about inflation.

Backdrop to today's announcements is cost of living squeezepublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 10 May 2022

15:16 BST 10 May 2022

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

We’re on to the politics now – after the traditional backbench speeches which open the debate (they’re supposed to be light-hearted).

The backdrop to today’s Queen’s Speech was the cost of living squeeze.

The government argues it can ease the burden by growing the economy. Boris Johnson will say in his speech that the government can’t just spend its way out of trouble – a sign that the government wants to tighten its belt after emergency pandemic spending.

But Labour (and other opposition parties) believe there is nothing in the Queen’s Speech which will help people struggling to get by.

Sir Keir Starmer argues it’s a thin speech – because he thinks the government is too out of touch to meet challenges facing the UK.

Now onto the substance, and Starmer says: "Times are hard but they are much tougher than they should be."

He says the country can do "more than just get Brexit done", and the UK can "thrive", especially leading the world in green energy.

"But for that to happen, we need a government for the moment."

The Labour leader describes the Queen's speech as a "thin address... bereft of ideas or purpose".

He adds that they are "too out of touch to meet challenges of the moment [and][ too tired to meet challenges of the future."

OK, the comedy is not quite over. Starmer pokes a little fun at the prime minister, who after last week's local election is now a constituent of a Labour council.

"I am sure they will serve him well," he adds.

In a more serious moment, he pays tribute to MPs who have passed away - Tories James Brokenshire and Sir David Amess, and Labour's Jack Dromey.

Now the comedy portion of the debate is over, it is time for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to take to the dispatch box.

He begins by thanking Prince Charles for delivering the Queen's Speech, before paying tribute to the Queen's "commitment to public duty".

"She will forever have all of our thanks for 70 years of service to our country."

Seconding the motion, fellow Tory Faye Jones makes a gag at her own expense - pointing out that, as student, she posed next to Tory MP David Davis wearing one of the infamous "it's DD for me" T-shirts used to promote his tilt at the 2005 party leadership.

She quips that asked what she had learned about the incident, she had concluded she "doesn't look good in pink".

Kevin Peachey
Personal finance correspondent

Hundreds of millions of pounds a year are stolen in so-called authorised push payment fraud – when victims transfer money to a business or organisation they believe to be genuine but is actually a con-artist.

If you are the victim of such a fraud, then a refund from your bank or card provider for the money lost is far from guaranteed.

In fact, the consumer group Which? describes it as a “reimbursement lottery” depending on who you bank with.

Proposed legislation in the speech should mean there is a consistent approach to refunds in the future. It will be up to a regulator to frame those rules, after banks were unable to do so between themselves.

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Graham Stuart is up first, to formally propose a motion thanking the Queen for the speech (even though this year it was Prince Charles delivering it).

As is tradition, he tries out a few gags at his colleagues' expense.

He says some MPs are in the Commons for a long time, some for short time, and "some, according to our media friends, for a good time".

He also takes aim at Sir Keir Starmer over his beer and curry at a campaign event last year, joking that the Labour leader must want to take more MPs in the north of England, but "the only thing opening up for him in the north is a police investigation".

This gets a big laugh from MPs on all sides, including Sir Keir himself.

"Never in the history of human conflict has so much karma come from a korma," adds Stuart.

MPs are currently debating the government's legislative agenda set out in the Queen’s Speech, which was delivered by Prince Charles earlier today.

The speech highlighted some of the 38 laws that ministers intend to pass in the coming year.

We’ve picked out some of the key bills:

• Levelling up and Regeneration Bill will give councils new planning powers, including to force landlords in England to let out empty shops to rejuvenate high streets
• A new state-run agency to regulate railway services across the UK, Great British Railways, will be established by a Transport Bill
• The Online Safety Bill is a mammoth piece of legislation to deliver a government pledge to better regulate content appearing on the internet
• A Public Order Bill will introduce new police powers over disruptive protests, which were blocked by the House of Lords earlier this year
• A Brexit Freedoms Bill will give ministers new powers to overhaul EU laws they copied over after the UK left the bloc
• A new Schools Bill will give the schools regulator powers to crack down on unregistered schools in England, and introduce attendance registers
• An Energy Security Bill will contain new powers aimed at boosting renewable energy, and promote a market in electric heat pumps
• An Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will beef up the investigatory powers of Companies House and aim to increase corporate transparency

You can read about other bills included here.

Emma Simpson
Business correspondent

Image source, EPA

It had already been widely trailed that landlords could be forced to let empty shops in a bid to revive struggling high streets.

Boarded up empty shops are definitely a blight for many of our high streets and town centres and the biggest ones can hamper regenerations plans.

Industry figures suggest one in seven shops, on average, are still sitting empty.

The new Levelling Up bill would give new powers to local authorities to run rental auctions for shops that have sat empty for more than a year.

New ideas are certainly needed. But even if a landlord is forced to rent a store, it will be still be difficult to let if the burden of business rates is too high.

The vast majority of high street retailers and property investors say what would really drive town centre rejuvenation is a big rethink of the whole business rates system.

Image source, HoC

The Queen's Speech debate begins with a statement from the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, reminding MPs to abide by the code of conduct of the House, "to behave with civility and fairness in all of their dealings".

He also says it is "incumbent" on them to be "accurate" in what they say in the Commons, with loud cheers from the opposition benches.

He appeals to MPs to be "mindful of the impact of what they say".

Hoyle adds: "If we fail to treat each other with respect in debate, that diminishes our work, but it also risks raising the temperature of discussions outside this place, particularly on social media."

Image source, PA Media

Now the Royal formalities of the Queen’s Speech are done with, it’s over to MPs to say their say on the government’s legislative agenda.

They will do so in the House of Commons, where they’ll debate the draft laws proposed by the government from 14:30 BST.

Firstly, an address to answer the speech is moved and seconded by two MPs. By tradition, they give short speeches, which are typically humorous and uncontroversial.

Then, MPs and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will grill Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will answer their questions at the dispatch box.

He will make a statement, outlining his government’s priorities and what he deems to be its achievements so far.

Expect tough questions and robust exchanges as the government seeks to justify its plan for the new parliamentary session.

The debate usually takes place over six days, with each day being assigned to a policy area, before the speech is put to a vote and usually passes without opposition.