The King’s Speech
As a new parliament has been formed the government will present their programme for government through the medium of the King’s Speech on Wednesday, at the State Opening of Parliament, which HRH King Charles will read out from his throne in the House of Lords.
Departments are working on more than 35 bills to deliver an ambitious parliamentary session that will be built on a bedrock of economic security, to enable growth that will improve the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people.
Legislation will include a bill to enforce tough new spending rules, designed to ensure economic growth, while avoiding the chaos which left families with spiralling bills and wreaked misery on people’s lives.
To ensure nobody can play fast and loose with the public finances ever again, this new bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our work is urgent. There is no time to waste. We are hitting the ground running by bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long-term – and our ambitious, fully costed agenda is the downpayment on that change.
“From energy, to planning, to unbreakable fiscal rules, my government is serious about delivering the stability that is going to turbo charge growth that will create wealth in every corner of the UK.
“The task of national renewal will not be easy, and this is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out at the King’s Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to the lives of working people.”
Stephen Flynn MP has confirmed the SNP will table an amendment to end the two child cap – if the Labour Party fails to include the measure in its programme for government.
In a letter today, the SNP Westminster Leader urged Anas Sarwar to instruct Labour MPs in Scotland to support the amendment. Stephen Flynn said the two child cap is “pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty” and ending it is “the bare minimum” required.
The SNP said scrapping the cap is “the essential first step” but the Labour Party “must then take further bold action if it is to eradicate child poverty – including matching the SNP government’s Scottish Child Payment UK-wide by raising the child element of Universal Credit by £26.70 per child, per week across the UK”.
Mr Flynn said: “The two child cap is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty – and scrapping it is the bare minimum the Labour Party government must do if it is serious about tackling poverty.
“I urge Keir Starmer to include it in his programme for government this week but, if he fails, the SNP will lay an amendment to abolish it immediately. It is shameful and it must go now.”
Secretary of State for Scotland
Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South is now the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Edinburgh Reporter met him last week to talk about a range of matters, including VAT being imposed on school fees – a particular Edinburgh problem as a quarter of all pupils are educated at private schools here. Read what he said here.
And the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland was also in Queen Elizabeth House – Kirsty McNeill is the brand new MP for Midlothian and we will be chatting to her again soon.
Picture Alan Simpson
New Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray MP with Kirsty McNeill Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland on Roof top terrace at Queen Elizabeth House
Museum will tell previously untold Edinburgh story
The museum on Castlehill under the Tartan Weaving Mill will be reopened to the public with a new entrance if plans submitted to the council are approved. The B-listed building used to be a reservoir and the new layout will allow the story of its past as away of bringing fresh water into the city to be told. The building appears to be one storey at the top of Castlehill but it extends to five levels which are largely hidden from view.
The architects have provided a planning statement which explains that the sensitive alterations will ensure a sustainable future for the building as an important heritage asset and tourist attraction. The 19th century building replaced a smaller reservoir built on the site of a former chapel.
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Maid of the Forth has won an award
Maid of the Forth which carries passengers from The Hawes Pier out to Inchcolm Island has won a TripAdvisor award.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
