The Queen’s Speech is a grand occasion, with lots of pomp
and ceremony. But the contents of the speech itself showed that the
Government’s plans for Britain are deeply out of touch with what businesses,
families and the jobless need.
Basically, the message was “No change, no hope”. For
a young person looking for work, for a family whose living standards are being
squeezed, for a small business which can’t get money from the bank, this speech
offered no hope.
This speech was supposed to be the government’s answer to
the clear message from the local elections. But on this evidence, they still
don’t get it.
The Government says people have turned against them because
they don’t understand the plan for the economy. The truth is that it’s not the
Government’s communications strategy that is the problem – it’s the policy
failure.
David Cameron and Nick Clegg promised recovery, but they
have delivered recession. We have the worst unemployment in 16 years, over a
million young people out of work and the first double-dip recession in 37
years. We needed action that put building an economy that works for working
people centre stage. It should have been a boost to family living standards. It
was none of these things.
Bizarrely, David Cameron still responds to the alternative
growth strategy by saying that it isn’t affordable because it would increase
debt. It’s as though he hasn’t yet recognised that his government is now going
to borrow an extra massive £150bn more than it said it would, because of the
failure of his economic policies.
We’re now borrowing more to pay for the costs of increased
unemployment and failing businesses. The same money could and should have been
used to invest, creating real jobs, providing people paying tax rather than
claim benefits.
People want to see the government offering practical,
affordable ways to help people right now and get our economy moving again. The
Queen’s Speech should have been quite different.
