Working out the plot
Arriving at the state opening of Parliament this morning I felt like I was walking onto the set of a movie. As I rushed through Black Rod's entrance (yes, he does have his own) I bumped into a group of beefeaters waiting for their walk on role. In a corridor I almost impaled myself on the sword of one of the horseguards. Ladies in evening wear jostled with judges in wigs and their lordships in ermine.
It was colourful, it was enjoyable, but I'm still struggling to work out the plot.
The plotline dreamt up by the the Downing Street spindoctors is "security in a changing world" - not just security from bad people whether noisy neighbours or troublesome terrorists but from climate change and pensioner poverty too. It's a neat enough formulation but like all Queen's Speeches I suspect it won't last terribly long. You see the wordsmiths at Number Ten don't actually control what goes into the Queen's Speech. The content, as always, actually stems from a curious mix of:
- • Mere chance - "Department A has finally got its plans ready for a new bill"
• Buggins turn - "We turned down Minister B last year and we can't do it again"
• Inter-departmental rivalry - "No-one will take us seriously if we don't have something in the Queen's Speech"
• Party Politics - "Let's make Cameron and Campbell look soft by by forcing another vote on ID cards"
Oh yes, and then there's what the Cabinet decides is in the country's interests. Oddly, after all the build up, this does not include - for now, at least, a terrorism bill. Not mentioned too are the two major issues that will shape the politics of the next year. You may have tired of hearing it but these are - who comes next as prime minister, and when and how we get out of Iraq.
Pause before writing to complain that I am ignoring things of real significance. I am not. The Pensions Bill - linking the state pension to earnings and setting up a form of compulsorily saving - will affect millions of us. The Climate Change Bill - the details of which still have to be hammered out within government let alone in Parliament - will matter hugely too. Significant too will be a bill that will only appear in draft but which may allow the widespread introduction of road pricing.
The next year in politics will - like today's pomp - be colourful and dramatic. Its storyline though has still to be written.
I'm 
Comments
The story of the next session will be the same as all the rest.
The bunch of ineffective, mendacious incompetents in Government enacting unnecessary legislation that has the opposite effect to that desired. Thus making what remains of this country uninhabitable for those that have so far kept the wheels turning.
Oh, and the 91Èȱ¬ is equally responsible through its institutional bias.
Things can only get better? Mmmmm . . .
Hey Nick,
I'm glad to see us bloggers are actually having an effect on the content of your blogs... lol.
Oh, and aren’t you really saying that the queens speech is an irrelevant anachronism as the contents, all be it accurate to a greater or lesser extent, actually hides what really is going to happen over the next year in parliament?
Paul
So what is the point of the Queen's Speech? Ok, its a great way to open a parliamentary year but is it really worthwhile?
Do we really need another vote on ID cards? Are the plans announced on other policies really going to happen? Why have political point scoring included when the voters are bored with this?
Give us what we want... true policies, ways in which politicians prove that they are doing what we expect, a true outline of plans on climate change, education, health and crime.
Later on we will conspire as we sit by the fire,the plotline deepens as the winter wonder land narnia braces its self for another change."A NEW LION TO RULE NUMBER TEN"yes Nick its a wonderful life.
The only real thing going on in Parliament at the moment Nick is the older MP`s josiling to get into the house of lords they don`t want to upset anyone at the moment but are very frightened that it may all change and there extra pension (on top of there MP`s pension) may disappear.The sooner we get an elected second house the better.As for future policies well that will be done as always with new labour on the hoof and when that fails they will resort to the fall back position gimmicks.I like the latest one if you go to the labour web site they invite you to give them ideas and tell them where they are going wrong and then come before the cabinet and tell them what to do.So here we have it a government that hasn`t got a clue what to do,devoid of ideas.What are we paying them for again?.
Nick 15 Nov 06, 02:58 PM
"Arriving at the state opening of Parliament this morning I felt like I was walking onto the set of a movie. As I rushed through Black Rod's entrance (yes, he does have his own) I bumped into a group of beefeaters waiting for their walk on role. In a corridor I almost impaled myself on the sword of one of the horseguards. Ladies in evening wear jostled with judges in wigs and their lordships in ermine".
When you look upon all this we really have arrived at looney city central station.
Another dollop of useless legislation, from a gang who have had nearly ten years in power and have seemingly lost any idea of what life in this country is actually like for the rest of us
Hi nick,
as insightful as your columns are, i'm fed up with you going on about the Blair succession in the Queen's speech! this is a Labour Party issue, not an item for the next years legislative program which is what the Queen's speech is all about! Please can you concentrate on the political news item for once and not bang on about whos going to succeed Blair, I think most of us outside the Westminster village are fed up about it!
Wanted by the Government, to be able to hold people they suspect of terrorism for 90 days? This Government and/or police have abused the "power" they have already.Hell must freeze over before they are given any more 'power' to abuse The latest, A nurse seached by police under anti-terror law for Booing at Tony Blair (15.11.2006), and the first the gentleman at the Labour Conference last year who was manhandled out of his seat, because he shouted out "Nonsense" and was held allegedly under the terrorism law. How many people have been prosecuted and now have "Criminal Records" for such as putting an envelope in the bottle bin is beyond belief. Soon no doubt we might ALL have Criminal Records and then watch out because once our "good names" have gone, we may all begin to have the "couldn't care less" attitude.
So many things to be "banned" soon we may be told how much "jam" we may put on a slice of bread. Yes, that is how bad it is becoming.
I would like to know exactly what the Queen would actually put in a speech if she actually wrote it herself, I really would.