Queen's Speech to Outline Government Plans

David Cameron's plan for the first year of Government will be outlined today.

The Queens Speech will include replacing the Human Rights Act with a British version, and increased devolution for Scotland.

The Prime Minister will also legislate for a referendum on European Union membership.

Cameron's Plans:

• Devolution: Implementation of the Smith Commission, which gives the Scottish Parliament controls to set income tax bands and change welfare policy.
• EU Referendum: Holding an In/Out vote on Britain’s membership of the European Union by the end of 2017.
• Tax: Minimum wage earners working 30 hours a week will be taken out of income tax. Also a legal guarantee of income tax, VAT or national insurance rises before 2020.
• Human Rights: Replacing the Human Rights Act – based on the European Convention of Human Rights – with a British Bill of Rights.
• Strike laws: A ban on strike action unless 40 per cent of all eligible union members vote for industrial action.
• Counter-extremism: Authorities to be given powers to close extremist mosques in range of measures to be legislated on from Theresa May

'Real opposition'

Scottish National Party Westminster Group leader Angus Robertson MP said that the SNP offered a sustained and effective opposition to the Tory government, compared to a leaderless Labour Party,which is debating moving further onto Tory policy ground.

Mr Robertson said: "Our priority is ending austerity, and the damage it does to people's lives. The Tory government's priority is ending human rights, and we will work across party lines and with colleagues in the Scottish Parliament to stop them scrapping the Human Rights Act.

"To a large extent, the Labour Party leadership debate at Westminster is focussing on Labour moving yet further onto Tory policy ground. During the election, it was the SNP - not Labour - which proposed a real alternative to austerity, and we received the mandate of 56 out of Scotland's 59 constituencies.

"Opposing austerity will be at the heart of our response to the Tories' programme for government.

"And since the election, we have seen Labour u-turn to back the Tories on a European referendum - and support their ridiculous and discriminatory position of allowing some but not all EU nationals to vote.

"In terms of more powers for Scotland, it is an early test of the UK Government's good faith that the Scotland Bill lives up to both the spirit and the letter of the Smith Commission. The Scottish Government has already set out the shortcomings of the draft legislation published in January, and submitted detailed amendments to the UK Government to bring their original proposals into line with Smith, so there can be no excuse. 

“This is the first key test. And as the First Minister agreed with David Cameron, the Scottish Government will also put forward proposals for a transfer of powers beyond Smith for discussion between the Scottish Secretary and the Deputy First Minister - for which half of Scotland's electorate voted. The people of Scotland have spoken, and Westminster has a democratic duty to listen.

"In these and many more important areas, the real opposition to the Tories at Westminster is coming - and will continue to come - from the SNP."

The Scottish Liberal Democrats want a "full commitment" to the Smith Agreement to be "front and centre" of the first Conservative Queen’s speech .

Leader Willie Rennie said the agreement must be delivered in full - "No ifs, no buts."

“That commitment will give confidence that Scotland is moving towards the stable, lasting change voted for by the majority of Scots at last year’s historic referendum. said the Fife MSP.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to argue for both governments to honour Scotland’s desire for meaningful constitutional reform – pushing democracy back down into local communities and beyond.”