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| Queen's Speech: Iain Duncan Smith accuses David Cameron of ditching legislation to boost Remain vote chances | Queen's Speech: Iain Duncan Smith accuses David Cameron of ditching legislation to boost Remain vote chances |
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| The depth of the rift within the Conservative Party over Europe has been exposed by a former minister's furious response to the absence of a Sovereignty Bill in the Government's agenda for the coming year, set out by the Queen in her annual address to Parliament. | The depth of the rift within the Conservative Party over Europe has been exposed by a former minister's furious response to the absence of a Sovereignty Bill in the Government's agenda for the coming year, set out by the Queen in her annual address to Parliament. |
| Former cabinet minister and prominent Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith accused David Cameron of ditching the proposal - along with other key elements of the Tories' programme - in order to improve the chances of a Remain vote in the June 23 referendum. | Former cabinet minister and prominent Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith accused David Cameron of ditching the proposal - along with other key elements of the Tories' programme - in order to improve the chances of a Remain vote in the June 23 referendum. |
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| With the political world gripped by the struggle over EU membership, the Queen's Speech set out a relatively modest agenda of 21 bills which focused on reforms to prison, adoption and universities and largely avoided the kind of contentious legislation which might fuel opposition to the government during the referendum period. | With the political world gripped by the struggle over EU membership, the Queen's Speech set out a relatively modest agenda of 21 bills which focused on reforms to prison, adoption and universities and largely avoided the kind of contentious legislation which might fuel opposition to the government during the referendum period. |
| Reading out the Speech amid the traditional lavish ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen made only a fleeting direct reference to the subject dominating politics, stating simply that her Government "will hold a referendum on the membership of the European Union". | Reading out the Speech amid the traditional lavish ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament, the Queen made only a fleeting direct reference to the subject dominating politics, stating simply that her Government "will hold a referendum on the membership of the European Union". |
| In what may be seen as an attempt by Mr Cameron to signal that remaining in the EU does not mean giving up the UK's independence, she added: "My ministers will uphold the sovereignty of Parliament and the primacy of the House of Commons." | In what may be seen as an attempt by Mr Cameron to signal that remaining in the EU does not mean giving up the UK's independence, she added: "My ministers will uphold the sovereignty of Parliament and the primacy of the House of Commons." |
| But there was no mention of a Sovereignty Bill to assert the primacy of UK courts over the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which was floated as a constitutional safeguard during the Prime Minister's renegotiation of Britain's EU membership earlier this year. | But there was no mention of a Sovereignty Bill to assert the primacy of UK courts over the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which was floated as a constitutional safeguard during the Prime Minister's renegotiation of Britain's EU membership earlier this year. |
| Mr Duncan Smith - who quit the Cabinet in March shortly after declaring he would campaign for EU withdrawal - described it as the latest in a string of climbdowns aimed at smoothing the way to a Remain vote. | Mr Duncan Smith - who quit the Cabinet in March shortly after declaring he would campaign for EU withdrawal - described it as the latest in a string of climbdowns aimed at smoothing the way to a Remain vote. |
| "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," said the former work and pensions secretary. | "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," said the former work and pensions secretary. |
| "Whether it is the Trade Union Bill or the BBC Charter proposals, it seems nothing must stand in the way of winning the referendum. | "Whether it is the Trade Union Bill or the BBC Charter proposals, it seems nothing must stand in the way of winning the referendum. |
| "Yet to compound that, now it appears 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. | "Yet to compound that, now it appears 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. |
| "The fear in Government must be that, as no-one in Britain buys the idea that the EU has been reformed, the Sovereignty Bill would draw the public's attention back to that failure. After all if the EU Court of Justice is supreme and can strike down our laws, the British people would have just laughed at the idea Britain can be sovereign unless we leave the EU." | "The fear in Government must be that, as no-one in Britain buys the idea that the EU has been reformed, the Sovereignty Bill would draw the public's attention back to that failure. After all if the EU Court of Justice is supreme and can strike down our laws, the British people would have just laughed at the idea Britain can be sovereign unless we leave the EU." |
| Although he never publicly committed the Government to legislation to assert UK sovereignty, Mr Cameron said earlier this year that there was "a good case" for such a bill. In what was seen as a last-ditch effort to woo Boris Johnson over to the Remain camp, he told MPs in February that he was ready to take action to "put beyond doubt that this House is sovereign". | Although he never publicly committed the Government to legislation to assert UK sovereignty, Mr Cameron said earlier this year that there was "a good case" for such a bill. In what was seen as a last-ditch effort to woo Boris Johnson over to the Remain camp, he told MPs in February that he was ready to take action to "put beyond doubt that this House is sovereign". |
| PA | PA |