Queen's Speech — UK Membership of the EU — Nuclear Weapons — House of Lords — Devolution — Refugee Crisis in Europe — 26 May 2016 at 16:50

The majority of MPs voted against calling for the Government to outline a positive vision for the UK’s continued membership of the EU; for spending £200 billion on new nuclear weapons; against abolishing the House of Lords; against meaningful devolution to the nations and regions of the UK and against contributing to the resolution of the refugee crisis in Europe.

The debate on the content of the government's legislative programme outlined in the Queens' speech is technically, and traditionally, on the subject of a message of thanks which the house is to send the monarch for making the speech.

The motion under consideration was:

• That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:
• Most Gracious Sovereign,
• We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.

The amendment rejected in this vote sought to add the following to the end of the message:

• “but
• regret that the measures set out fail to meet the challenges facing the majority of people living in the nations and regions of the UK;
• call in particular for your Government to change course on plans for austerity spending cuts, which are damaging the UK’s economic growth and punishing the incomes of hardworking people, and to consider a modest investment in public services to stimulate economic growth; and
• further call on your Government to withdraw proposals to waste as much as £200 billion on new nuclear weapons, to go further than the recommendations of the Strathclyde Review by abolishing the House of Lords, to work more respectfully with the nations and regions of the UK to deliver meaningful devolution, to acknowledge its responsibility as a member of the international community in contributing to the resolution of the refugee crisis in Europe and to acknowledge its responsibility to outline a positive vision for the UK’s continued membership of the EU.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament claims renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system will cost £205bn^[1]

• [1] No to Trident webpage, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Debate in Parliament |