Queen's Speech

Well I have just caught bits of the Queen's Speech and it is a great disappointment. I have tried to be positive about the coalition government and am still hoping for good stuff - at least ID cards are to be scrapped, but sadly no action on the use of control orders.

Photo: from Channel 4 website - see below

Most sad is the sell out on reforming our political system - a referendum on AV goes nowhere near far enough - a tragic sell out by the Lib Dems. See my blog here. At least climate change got a proper mention but no proper targets or investment - Labour were good with the words but the reality is that emissions are rising and we remain third from bottom in terms of renewables - only Malta and Luxembourg are worse in the EU. This comes on top of news that there will be cuts to public transport - where is the joined-up thinking?

Plus whats all this about free schools run by private companies? Profit to be made from our education system at a time when many schools are already cut to the bone.....and privatisation of the Royal Mail - yuck, yuck, yuck!

I was however pleased to see that power is to be devolved to local councils – but as one commentator put it "even the Tory councils are not hurling their hats in the air. Why? As one Tory put it with glee at their last conference: 'We will devolve the axe!'"

Today Channel 4 publishes the “Green Queen’s Speech” – an alternative Queen’s Speech prepared by Caroline Lucas MP to show what a Green government would prioritise. See Green Queens speech here.