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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Queen's speech: coalition to bring in law letting voters sack MPs | Queen's speech: coalition to bring in law letting voters sack MPs |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The government will bring in a new law allowing voters to sack misbehaving MPs under new legislation included in the Queen's speech. | |
| The new power of recall – promised in the coalition agreement in 2010 – will be triggered only if MPs are given jail sentences or if the House of Commons resolves that they have engaged in "serious wrongdoing". Voters would then have to collect the signatures of 10% of constituents to force a byelection. | The new power of recall – promised in the coalition agreement in 2010 – will be triggered only if MPs are given jail sentences or if the House of Commons resolves that they have engaged in "serious wrongdoing". Voters would then have to collect the signatures of 10% of constituents to force a byelection. |
| Campaigners for the law – including the Tory backbencher Zac Goldsmith – claimed the bill did not go far enough because MPs would still have a veto on the powers. He claimed that voters had been "duped" by its inclusion in the speech and that the government had watered down the promise fearing it could lead to "kangaroo courts" for MPs. | |
| The Queen's speech, which sets out new legislation, contained a mixed bag of 11 bills for the final year of the coalition, including proposals for local elections to national park authorities, a law to prevent invasive species entering the UK and legal protections for have-a-go heroes. | The Queen's speech, which sets out new legislation, contained a mixed bag of 11 bills for the final year of the coalition, including proposals for local elections to national park authorities, a law to prevent invasive species entering the UK and legal protections for have-a-go heroes. |
| Other measures include plans to force supermarkets to charge for plastic bags. The bills are largely uncontroversial for the coalition partners but they fail to finalise powers to allow fracking for gas under people's homes in time to set out details in the speech. | Other measures include plans to force supermarkets to charge for plastic bags. The bills are largely uncontroversial for the coalition partners but they fail to finalise powers to allow fracking for gas under people's homes in time to set out details in the speech. |
| Labour has suggested the coalition is running out of ideas as the speech does not contain many grand ideas for transforming the country. The opposition has accused the government of creating a "zombie parliament", as Conservatives and Liberal Democrats find it increasingly difficult to find areas of agreement. | Labour has suggested the coalition is running out of ideas as the speech does not contain many grand ideas for transforming the country. The opposition has accused the government of creating a "zombie parliament", as Conservatives and Liberal Democrats find it increasingly difficult to find areas of agreement. |
| Most of the bigger proposals have already been announced by George Osborne, the chancellor, at the budget and the autumn statement. These include a pensions bill giving people more control over how they save their money for old age, a small business bill that cuts red tape, increases transparency about corporate ownership and reforms zero-hours contracts, and a childcare payments bill offering tax relief on childcare. | Most of the bigger proposals have already been announced by George Osborne, the chancellor, at the budget and the autumn statement. These include a pensions bill giving people more control over how they save their money for old age, a small business bill that cuts red tape, increases transparency about corporate ownership and reforms zero-hours contracts, and a childcare payments bill offering tax relief on childcare. |
| However, one new measure that does not require legislation is a new 5p charge on plastic carrier bags in an effort to reduce waste and litter. From October 2015, large shops will have to impose the charge, although small and medium-sized businesses will be exempt. Similar measures in Wales led to a 76% decrease in the distribution of single-use plastic carrier bags. | |
| Another potentially contentious piece of legislation is the new infrastructure bill, which is intended to boost housing and allow exploitation of the UK's natural energy resources. The bill contains measures to encourage the development of North Sea oil and gas, geothermal energy and shale gas, as well as new relaxation of planning laws for developers. | Another potentially contentious piece of legislation is the new infrastructure bill, which is intended to boost housing and allow exploitation of the UK's natural energy resources. The bill contains measures to encourage the development of North Sea oil and gas, geothermal energy and shale gas, as well as new relaxation of planning laws for developers. |
| However, the speech also contains the caveat that powers allowing companies to drill under people's property are "entirely dependent on the outcome of a consultation" into the issue. | However, the speech also contains the caveat that powers allowing companies to drill under people's property are "entirely dependent on the outcome of a consultation" into the issue. |
| Fracking is a contentious issue for many MPs whose constituencies contain shale resources and is being fiercely resisted by many environmental groups. Hours before the speech, police were called in to remove protesters from David Cameron's Oxfordshire home where they had constructed a fake fracking plant. | |
| There was disappointment among animal rights campaigners that there was no legislation creating a ban on wild animals in circuses, which had been widely trailed and expected. | There was disappointment among animal rights campaigners that there was no legislation creating a ban on wild animals in circuses, which had been widely trailed and expected. |
| The bills were announced by the Queen speaking before parliamentarians in the House of Lords. She delivered the coalition's key messages and slogans in a short speech, saying: "My government's legislative programme will continue to deliver on its long-term plan to build a stronger economy and a fairer society." | The bills were announced by the Queen speaking before parliamentarians in the House of Lords. She delivered the coalition's key messages and slogans in a short speech, saying: "My government's legislative programme will continue to deliver on its long-term plan to build a stronger economy and a fairer society." |
| Six bills will be carried over from the previous parliament, including the consumer rights bill, the criminal justice and courts bill (including knife crime, the subject of a coalition row), the deregulation bill, a second finance bill, the HS2 paving bill and the Wales bill. | Six bills will be carried over from the previous parliament, including the consumer rights bill, the criminal justice and courts bill (including knife crime, the subject of a coalition row), the deregulation bill, a second finance bill, the HS2 paving bill and the Wales bill. |
| The new bills | The new bills |
| • Small business, enterprise and employment bill | • Small business, enterprise and employment bill |
| • National insurance contributions bill | • National insurance contributions bill |
| • Infrastructure bill | • Infrastructure bill |
| • Pensions tax bill | • Pensions tax bill |
| • Private pensions bill | • Private pensions bill |
| • Social action, responsibility and heroism bill | • Social action, responsibility and heroism bill |
| • Childcare payments bill | • Childcare payments bill |
| • Slavery bill | • Slavery bill |
| • Armed forces bill | • Armed forces bill |
| • Serious crime bill | • Serious crime bill |
| • Recall of members of parliament bill | • Recall of members of parliament bill |