Queen's Speech: Johnson Presses Advantage in U.K. Government Program - The New York Times

The government plans laid out in the Queen’s Speech suggest that Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to make full use of favorable political conditions.

LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson hoped to use the opening of Britain’s Parliament on Tuesday to galvanize his government’s agenda after a striking series of victories in regional elections in England last week.

Squired by her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, the queen presided over a ceremony she had attended for decades with Philip.

Now a widow, and three weeks after turning 95, her voice was firm and steady as she read the Queen’s Speech, in which Mr.

The government also proposed that voters be required to show photo identification at polling places in general elections, which it defended as a means to prevent fraud.

“Johnson’s going for what’s long been the sweet spot in British politics,” said Timothy Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University in London.

The government promised to “deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before.”.

The speech did not directly address perhaps the thorniest challenge facing Mr.

The government said only that it would “promote the strength and integrity of the union” — a pledge that is likely to involve pouring more public money into Scotland and putting off the Scottish National Party’s demands to allow a vote.

“The question is, is Boris Johnson right to think that delaying it might help him?” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The recent death of Philip also lent the proceedings a wistful atmosphere, even though he had turned over the duties of escorting the queen to Charles a few years ago, after his retirement.

Johnson and the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, said nothing to each other as they walked, single file and masked, to the House of Lords.

Johnson, he said, had promised to do so 657 days ago