I would like to congratulate all the Councillors who were elected last Thursday, all of whom I look forward to working with in the future. Having spent ten very happy years as a Councillor myself before being elected as an MP I know what a rewarding community role it is.
This week we have seen the Coalition’s second Queen’s Speech. This reflects our values and builds on our achievements over the past two years. In 2010, our two parties came together to act in the long-term national interest. Our most urgent task was to tackle the nation’s record debts and to foster growth. We have already made some tough choices, and we will continue to make sure we keep spending down so unlike others in Europe, families can benefit from low interest rates and Britain is protected from the global debt storm.
But there was another urgent task – the country was crying out for a change of values, craving more opportunity and fairness in our economy and more responsibility in our society. This Government is on the side of hardworking people. We are ending the ‘something for nothing culture’ by reforming welfare and making work pay. We’re reforming education to give all children the best start in life. We’ve capped immigration. And we’re protecting the NHS, increasing spending every year. Over the next few years our task is to ensure that these policies are implemented properly.
In the next legislative session, we will build on these achievements and entrench these values.
We will continue to extend opportunity in our economy – with an Enterprise and Employment Bill that will make Britain one of the most business-friendly countries in the world; and a Banking Reform Bill that will clear up the regulatory mess and protect our economy and Britain’s families from the sort of risky activity that led to the recession. We will reform the electricity market to ensure it is clean, low-carbon and affordable for future generations.
We will continue to reward responsibility in society. Our Families and Children Bill will put families’ front and centre of our national life, with unprecedented support for parents and the biggest reform for thirty years of support for children with special needs or disabilities. A Crime and Courts Bill and Justice and Security Bill will modernise our criminal justice system so criminals are properly punished in the community and law-abiding people are kept safe. And a Pensions Bill will ensure those who have worked hard their whole life, get the dignity they deserve in retirement.
This is a Government taking the tough, long-term decisions to restore our country to strength. We are dealing with the deficit, rebalancing our economy and building a society that rewards people who work hard and do the right thing.