House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, AFP/ Getty Images

The seconder is Baroness Goldie - former leader of Scottish Conservatives. 

She begins her speech by proposing a new health policy based on the example set by the Queen.

Firstly she say all in-patients should be prescribed a lunchtime gin and Dubonnet.

Secondly they should be presented with a corgi on discharge.

She argues that this would encourage exercise, increase socialisation and add to general well-being.

House of Commons
Parliament

Turning to the Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron tells MPs that Mr Corbyn has said the monarchy should "call it a day" when the Queen completes her reign.

"I think there is more chance that the Labour Party call it a day after he completes his reign," Mr Cameron says.

He says that this may come sooner than people think as he has heard that an advert for staff in Mr Corbyn's office described the contract as lasting "for the period that Jeremy Corbyn is Leader of the Labour Party or until the 31st of December 2016 - whichever is sooner".

The prime minister says that when his office called Mr Corbyn's office to clarify this, he says the answer phone message said that the Leader of the Opposition's phone line was open 2pm-4pm every weekday.

"I know he wants a shorter working week but there are limits," Mr Cameron says.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has adjourned for the day.

The inquiry into homophobia in sport will continue at a later date, and the SNP's John Nicolson says they will be inviting diver Tom Daley to give evidence.

House of Lords
Parliament

The Conservative peer Lord King goes on to pay tribute to the Lord Speaker Baroness D'Souza, Leader of the Opposition Baroness Smith of Basildon and Leader of the House Baroness Stowell of Beeston.

Proof, he says, that the House of Lords is "certainly not lacking women in charge".

Paying particular tribute to Baroness Stowell, Lord King recalls an old song he remembers from his days as a squaddie: "Speaking of my sweetie pie/ only sixty inches high /every inch packed with dynamite".

Whatever her height, he says, "she has grown in stature". 

Image source, HOL

House of Commons
Parliament

Prime Minister David Cameron rises to the cheers that greet the end of Jeremy Corbyn's 40 minute speech from the Conservative benches.

He says he has never before seen a 40 minute speech with no interventions and asks the Opposition benches why no Labour or SNP member had any questions.

On the Queen's Speech itself, Mr Cameron says it "builds on strong foundations" and lauds the record of the government, before saying he knows there is "far more to be done to entrench our strong economic performance".

Mr Cameron says the speech contains "a series of bold choices that deliver opportunity to all at every stage of life".

House of Lords
Parliament

The first peer to speak is former Conservative Defence Secretary Lord King of Bridgwater.

He thanks the Queen for her speech and wanders if they ought to have brought her a present. 

He suggests that peers would not be able to match the Tesco gift token "that so delighted her majesty at Windsor".

Image source, HOL

Select Committee
Parliament

The SNP's John Nicolson asks if there is any reason to believe there are fewer gay people in sport than in society in general. He says that if there is not, there are "tens of thousands" of sports players in the closet.

Professor Ian Rivers says he wouldn't necessarily agree with that statement, and Dr Jamie Cleland says people have individual reasons for not coming out.

You can watch the committee here., external

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HOL

Image source, HOL

House of Commons
Parliament

In a speech that has now reached the half hour mark - Mr Corbyn is making a many-pronged attack on the government including on the issue of homelessness, prison reform, changing the powers of the House of Lords, the BBC, public service cuts, proposed privatisations, the NHS, and the academies u-turn - to name but a few.

Several MPs have tried to intervene on Mr Corbyn, causing a level of noise in the chamber that at times the Labour leader is struggling to speak above.

The SNP's Alex Salmond exits the chamber at one point - causing an ironic cheer from the Tory benches.

House of Commons
Parliament

Returning to the role of Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn begins his attack on the government for continuing cuts. "Still this government does not understand that cuts have consequences," he says.

"This austerity is a political choice not an economic necessity," Mr Corbyn tells MPs and says "it is a wrong choice for our country and made by a government with the wrong priorities".

House of Lords
Parliament

Before the humble address in the Lords, however, we have the first reading of the Select Vestries Bill.

The Select Vestries Bill calls for the better regulation of select vestries – a form of 17th century local government that, at the time, caused concern due to widespread corruption in the system.

The bill is neither printed or debated but is introduced as a way of asserting the right of the Lords to set their own business irrespective of the Crown’s wishes.

In 1997 the brand new and slightly baffled Leader of the House of Lords, Lord Richard, admitted he had no idea why he was introducing the bill “but I am”.

House of Commons
Parliament

After the sober beginning, Mr Corbyn sets off on a light-hearted and humourous poking at Ms Spelman and Mr Lee for their speeches.

The Leader of the Opposition addresses the MP for Meriden as "sister Spelman and comrade Spelman" - telling the chamber that Ms Spelman was once, like him, a full time union official.

Mr Corbyn also thanks Ms Spelman for her work on "championing the rights of women and girls in the developing world".  

"I think underneath it all she is a bit of a closet radical actually," he says.

The Leader of the Opposition then turns his attentions to Mr Lee who he reveals was a member of a group called "the grumblers".

This was not a group of radicals but rather a cricket team he once belonged to, Mr Corbyn tells the chamber, and proceeds to read a letter from the club chair in which payment for several unpaid fees are requested and Mr Lee's "all too long career as a top order batsman" are described in detail.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HOL

Peers will return at 3:30pm for “the Humble Address” whereby peers thank the Queen for the “most Gracious Speech”.

Two members (a mover and a seconder) make speeches to this purpose and then peers enter into a debate on the legislative programme.

The identity of the opening speakers currently appears to be shrouded in mystery but all will be revealed at 3:30pm.

House of Commons
Parliament

Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn begins on a sober note by reminding the House that the centenaries of the battle of the Somme and of the Anglo-French agreement to divide the Ottoman Empire into spheres of influence.

This, he says, is the cause of much of the violence in the region today.

On foreign policy, he says it is our duty to our armed forces are to avoid the political mistakes that lead to them being put in harm's way.

House of Commons
Parliament

Seconding the Loyal Address is Phillip Lee, the Conservative MP for Bracknell, who soon has MPs in stitches.

He says that he is surprised at being given the opportunity as he is not the son of a bus driver, and goes on to say "we have to wait so long for these sons of bus drivers and then two come along at once" - a reference to Sadiq Khan's victory in the London mayoral election and his congratulation by Sajid Javid, also the son of a bus driver.

He says that he "screwed up my A-levels" similarly to the Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn, remarking "so perhaps there is hope for me yet".

On a more risque note, he says that he had a history of PR before becoming an MP as well as being a medical professional. He tells MPs that the crossover in these two backgrounds can lead to misunderstandings, as he says in medical parlance "PR refers to the sort of exam in which you put on rubber gloves, apply gel, and ask a man to cough".

With a last cheeky jab he says it is for the best that this debate is not being held on a weekend "as I hear from some that doctors don't perform so well".

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Julie Elliott asks why homophobia seems to be more of an issue in football than in other sports. 

Dr Jamie Cleland disputes this is the case, and says the "culture of football has improved". 

Professor Ian Rivers says that rugby has been more "proactive" in tackling homophobia than football. He adds that in football the Premier League has not done as much as the lower leagues.

You can watch the committee here., external

Select Committee
Parliament

The committee is examining how easy it is for football players to come out as gay.

Dr Jamie Cleland says his research showed that "fans were not homophobic".

He adds that questions should be asked about what support networks are available for players who wish to come out.

You can watch the committee here, external.