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| Queen's speeches since 1994: how many bills did they introduce? | Queen's speeches since 1994: how many bills did they introduce? |
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| The Queen has been speaking at the State Opening of Parliament for more than 50 years – her first was in 1952 – and throughout that time controversies have repeatedly, if occasionally, bubbled up. | The Queen has been speaking at the State Opening of Parliament for more than 50 years – her first was in 1952 – and throughout that time controversies have repeatedly, if occasionally, bubbled up. |
| Are governments pushing in too many bills in parliamentary sessions? Or do too few mean they've run out of steam? Are the speeches too long, or too political, to be put in front of the monarch? | Are governments pushing in too many bills in parliamentary sessions? Or do too few mean they've run out of steam? Are the speeches too long, or too political, to be put in front of the monarch? |
| We've had a look at two key metrics since 1994. The first is how many bills each speech has introduced – taken from contemporary newspaper cuttings. Counts may vary, and the subsequent parliamentary session may have had more or fewer bills introduced as plans changed, bills were stymied, and backbenchers placated. | We've had a look at two key metrics since 1994. The first is how many bills each speech has introduced – taken from contemporary newspaper cuttings. Counts may vary, and the subsequent parliamentary session may have had more or fewer bills introduced as plans changed, bills were stymied, and backbenchers placated. |
| The peak – by quite some margin – came in the wake of the 2005 election, as the third term Labour government introduced 45 bills in a single session – in part, no doubt, due to Tony Blair's desire to get through what remained of his agenda before he became a lame duck. | The peak – by quite some margin – came in the wake of the 2005 election, as the third term Labour government introduced 45 bills in a single session – in part, no doubt, due to Tony Blair's desire to get through what remained of his agenda before he became a lame duck. |
| The number of bills fell back quickly, hitting a low point of just 13 bills in 2009. This bounced back up in the first Queen's speech of the coalition, but at just 22 bills (for an especially long parliamentary session) stayed below the 26 bills of the first year of Labour's first term, and the 24 of its second. | The number of bills fell back quickly, hitting a low point of just 13 bills in 2009. This bounced back up in the first Queen's speech of the coalition, but at just 22 bills (for an especially long parliamentary session) stayed below the 26 bills of the first year of Labour's first term, and the 24 of its second. |
| Otherwise, not every government seemed to run out of steam: the latter years of the Major administration didn't see many bills, but 2004 – the last session of Blair's second term – had more than any other year of that government. | Otherwise, not every government seemed to run out of steam: the latter years of the Major administration didn't see many bills, but 2004 – the last session of Blair's second term – had more than any other year of that government. |
| There is, however, a more obvious pattern looking at the length (the word count) of the speeches: | There is, however, a more obvious pattern looking at the length (the word count) of the speeches: |
| The first years of the New Labour administration saw a marked increase in the length of the address the Queen was expected to give – and the trend didn't pass unnoticed at the time. | The first years of the New Labour administration saw a marked increase in the length of the address the Queen was expected to give – and the trend didn't pass unnoticed at the time. |
| Speaking in the House of Lords in 2000, Lord Waddington said: | Speaking in the House of Lords in 2000, Lord Waddington said: |
| My Lords, I do not believe that I am alone in being concerned at the fact that the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament has become much longer in the past three years and the political tone more strident ... | My Lords, I do not believe that I am alone in being concerned at the fact that the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament has become much longer in the past three years and the political tone more strident ... |
| For some years, a number of my noble friends on this side of the House and I had a hand in deciding the content of the Queen's Speech. We always took a pride in their wording and in keeping them to a reasonable length ... the result of our efforts was that between 1979 and 1996 the longest Queen's Speech contained about 1,100 words ... | For some years, a number of my noble friends on this side of the House and I had a hand in deciding the content of the Queen's Speech. We always took a pride in their wording and in keeping them to a reasonable length ... the result of our efforts was that between 1979 and 1996 the longest Queen's Speech contained about 1,100 words ... |
| It may surprise some Members of your Lordships' House to learn that some of the longer Speeches were not followed by a larger number of Bills. Indeed, during the years of the Labour Government there has been no relationship between the length of the Speeches and the number of Bills introduced subsequently. | It may surprise some Members of your Lordships' House to learn that some of the longer Speeches were not followed by a larger number of Bills. Indeed, during the years of the Labour Government there has been no relationship between the length of the Speeches and the number of Bills introduced subsequently. |
| Since that point, the burden on Her Majesty has been lessened – no speech after 2005 has totalled more than 1,000 words. The coalition government slightly increased the length of speeches versus the closing years of the Labour government, but the days of 1,800 word screeds appear, for now, to be past. | Since that point, the burden on Her Majesty has been lessened – no speech after 2005 has totalled more than 1,000 words. The coalition government slightly increased the length of speeches versus the closing years of the Labour government, but the days of 1,800 word screeds appear, for now, to be past. |
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