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| Queen's Speech: UK government to make case against Scottish independence | Queen's Speech: UK government to make case against Scottish independence |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Queen's Speech has set out the UK government's pledge to continue making the case for Scotland to remain part of the Union. | The Queen's Speech has set out the UK government's pledge to continue making the case for Scotland to remain part of the Union. |
| Towards the end of the address, lasting seven minutes and 38 seconds, the Queen outlined what her coalition government intended for the devolved nations. | Towards the end of the address, lasting seven minutes and 38 seconds, the Queen outlined what her coalition government intended for the devolved nations. |
| For Scotland she said: "My government will make the case for Scotland to remain part of the UK." | For Scotland she said: "My government will make the case for Scotland to remain part of the UK." |
| Scots voters will take part next year in a Scottish independence referendum. | Scots voters will take part next year in a Scottish independence referendum. |
| They will be asked on Thursday, 18 September, to answer the straightforward yes/no question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" | |
| The Queen set out the government's plans in a speech written for her by the government amid the traditional pomp and ceremony of the state opening of parliament. | |
| She told MPs and peers her government's "first priority" remained strengthening Britain's economy and it would "continue to prioritise measures that reduce the deficit". | |
| Her Majesty added: "It will also work to promote a fairer society that rewards people who work hard." | |
| Other measures announced in the Queen's Speech include: | |
| Responding to the address, SNP MP Angus Robertson said: "This speech underlines exactly why Scotland needs good government with independence - not bad government from Westminster. | |
| "The speech shows that Westminster isn't working for Scotland. Instead of boosting economic growth it is focusing on a lurch to the right politically, and is out of touch with the people of Scotland." | |
| Labour's Shadow Scottish Secretary, Margaret Curran MP, said the speech was "weak" from a "tired" government that was "running out of ideas". | |
| "People across Scotland are looking for action to get our country moving. There was nothing in this speech to boost employment, no action to tackle rip-off energy companies and not a single move to ease the squeeze on families who are struggling to make ends meet. | |
| "Scots are being let down by two governments who aren't taking the action we need to get Scotland back on track. We had an empty legislative programme from the Scottish government last year and now we have the same from the UK government." |