Achieving Brexit and increasing the means of the health system: Boris Johnson gives substance to his campaign promises in his national policy program presented to the deputies on Thursday, December 19, during the traditional speech from the throne of Queen Elizabeth II.
The speech of the 93-year-old sovereign in the gold of the House of Lords marks the opening of the new parliamentary session, a week after the Conservatives were consecrated to early legislative elections.
The very busy ceremonial generally accompanying this event has been reduced: Christmas is approaching and the Queen's last speech was only two months before the election wanted by the then minority government to have a free hand on Brexit.
"People's Government"
"The Prime Minister has been very clear on what he believes to be the country's priorities, that is, the NHS (National Health Service), the fight against violent crimes, the race to the top across the country and the achievement of Brexit ”, detailed his spokesperson.
The legislative program should remain more or less identical to that detailed on October 14. It also provides additional funding for schools, better infrastructure and heavier prison terms for terrorist offenses, according to a statement from 10 Downing Street.
Boris Johnson, who has won over a popular electorate in areas previously voting for Labor, claims to be the head of a "Government of the people" responsible for meeting British aspirations for public services, social justice and infrastructure. But the priority is the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), which it has repeatedly promised to implement on January 31, after three postponements.
It is therefore not surprising that the first text submitted to the House of Commons in its new composition, as of Friday, is the divorce agreement negotiated with Brussels, supposed to put an end to forty-seven years of difficult marriage and more three years of psychodrama following the 2016 referendum.
Following this vote at second reading on Friday, its adoption should end after the holidays. She has little doubt, the Conservatives having 365 seats out of 650 in the House of Commons. "It is now impossible to derail the intentions of the government as we have seen in the past twelve months"said Jill Rutter of the UK think tank in a Changing Europe.
The post-Brexit
Boris Johnson is already looking to the post-Brexit era. He wants to conclude a trade agreement with the EU in less than a year and has planned to prohibit in the law implementing the withdrawal agreement any extension beyond 2020 of the transition period, planned to prepare the future relationship between London and Brussels.
An intransigence that has raised fears of an exit without an agreement damaging to the economy. The EU replied that it would "Maximum" to reach an agreement before the deadline, while warning that a "No deal" would have "More impact on the UK" than on Europeans.
In addition to the focus on Brexit, Boris Johnson is also set to announce a billion-pound increase in health care funding on Thursday, weakened by years of austerity. He has already reiterated his promise of 50,000 more nurses and 40 new hospitals, welcoming nurses to Downing Street on Wednesday. "We are making the biggest investment in NHS human memory", he said on this occasion.
As a sign of the cracks inflicted by Brexit on the unity of the United Kingdom, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon must reaffirm on Thursday his attachment to a new referendum on the independence of Scotland. It must plead for a transfer of powers allowing the Scots, mainly opposed to the exit from the EU, to decide themselves to organize such a consultation, currently left to the good will of London.
The government's legislative agenda will be debated in the House of Commons, followed by a vote in January by members of the House of Commons.
