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tv   BBC News  BBC News  July 17, 2024 11:00pm-11:31pm BST

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�* what what mick is saying �*what mick is saying as far as hear what mick is saying as far as the new leader, they will from the right, priti patel, isaw her today and it looks like she is on... right, priti patel, i saw her today and it looks like she is on... brava man tom — and it looks like she is on... brava man tom to _ and it looks like she is on... brava man tom to grant, _ and it looks like she is on. .. brava man tom to grant, you'll- and it looks like she is on... brava man tom to grant, you'll get - man tom to grant, you'll get crushed~ _ man tom to grant, you'll get crushed~ i _ man tom to grant, you'll get crushed. ,, a, man tom to grant, you'll get crushed-— man tom to grant, you'll get crushed. ,, a, a, , a, crushed. i want to hear the vision of whoever _ crushed. i want to hear the vision of whoever they _ crushed. i want to hear the vision of whoever they happen - crushed. i want to hear the vision of whoever they happen to - crushed. i want to hear the vision of whoever they happen to be, i i crushed. i want to hear the vision - of whoever they happen to be, i want to hear how they will establish the trust. i don't want to see them lurching into the territory already occupied by the reform party and to the left eye the point i want to see them going to the very centre and offering the public what they need but also, when you promise it you deliver it. ~ ., ., , ., but also, when you promise it you deliver it. ~ ., ., ~' �* deliver it. who do you like? don't the are deliver it. who do you like? don't they are going — deliver it. who do you like? don't they are going to _ deliver it. who do you like? don't they are going to give _ deliver it. who do you like? don't they are going to give you - deliver it. who do you like? don't| they are going to give you names. i'm not going to give you names, victoria! ~ ., ., , ., i'm not going to give you names, victoria! ~ ., ., i. ~' i'm not going to give you names, victoria! ~ ., ., ,, ~ victoria! who do you like the look of? i 'ust victoria! who do you like the look of? i just want — victoria! who do you like the look of? i just want to _ victoria! who do you like the look of? i just want to see _ victoria! who do you like the look of? i just want to see what - victoria! who do you like the look of? i just want to see what the i of? i just want to see what the vision is. _ of? i just want to see what the vision is. i _ of? i just want to see what the vision is, i want _ of? i just want to see what the vision is, i want to _ of? i just want to see what the vision is, i want to hear- of? i just want to see what the vision is, i want to hear what l of? i just want to see what the i vision is, i want to hear what they say. i want to hear what they say i will listening very carefully. flan will listening very carefully. can be b the
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will listening very carefully. can be by the mud. _ will listening very carefully. can be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know_ be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them _ be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them all— be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them all very _ be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them all very well. _ be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them all very well. i _ be by the mud, tom tugendhat... you know them all very well.— know them all very well. i know the ball incredibly _ know them all very well. i know the ball incredibly well. _ know them all very well. i know the ball incredibly well. just _ know them all very well. i know the ball incredibly well. just wanting i ball incredibly well. just wanting to be leader of the tory party, because you want to believe it is not good enough, because you want to use that position to ensure that the public at the end of the day, when you become the government, are going to be better off. you and i want to see the same thing, you may have different means of getting there... we won the country to be better but you don't _ we won the country to be better but you don't do that by lurching to the right _ you don't do that by lurching to the right and — you don't do that by lurching to the right. and dividing the country again — right. and dividing the country again. you'll end up with a northern part that _ again. you'll end up with a northern part that the — again. you'll end up with a northern part that the right wing party that is farage's party and a southern party— is farage's party and a southern party which is the concept but that is the _ party which is the concept but that is the danger, that you split again. and if— is the danger, that you split again. and if you — is the danger, that you split again. and if you only have these maniacs on the _ and if you only have these maniacs on the right, you will get punished again— on the right, you will get punished again at— on the right, you will get punished again at the ballot box while stormer— again at the ballot box while starmer hopefully gets on with driving — starmer hopefully gets on with driving the country forward and people — driving the country forward and people will talk about a progressive agenda _ people will talk about a progressive agenda and all you will be left with is a toad _ agenda and all you will be left with is a load of— agenda and all you will be left with is a load of reactionaries. and that's why _ is a load of reactionaries. and that's why were _ is a load of reactionaries. and
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that's why were not _ is a load of reactionaries. jifuc that's why were not going to is a load of reactionaries. fific that's why were not going to lurch to the right or the left i believe, on the other side of the coin as well that whatever a conservative party in the new leader will be promising, it will be judged against the delivery of keir starmer as well. and it's not all going to be plain sailing, we know that. you know there will be events, the unknown unknowns and all that stuff and how keir starmer manages that. just because he has a big majority doesn't mean it will be plain sailing. doesn't mean it will be plain sailinu. �* �* , , doesn't mean it will be plain sailinu. �* �*, , i. sailing. and it's interesting, you sailing. and it's interesting, you sa ou sailing. and it's interesting, you say you want — sailing. and it's interesting, you say you want time _ sailing. and it's interesting, you say you want time for _ sailing. and it's interesting, you say you want time for a - sailing. and it's interesting, you say you want time for a debate, | sailing. and it's interesting, you. say you want time for a debate, a reporter— say you want time for a debate, a reporteriust_ say you want time for a debate, a reporterjust over— say you want time for a debate, a reporterjust over a _ say you want time for a debate, a reporterjust over a week- say you want time for a debate, a reporterjust over a week ago i say you want time for a debate, a| reporterjust over a week ago that david _ reporterjust over a week ago that david cameron— reporterjust over a week ago that david cameron and _ reporterjust over a week ago that david cameron and william - reporterjust over a week ago that david cameron and william hague reporterjust over a week ago that i david cameron and william hague had .one david cameron and william hague had gone to— david cameron and william hague had gone to rishi — david cameron and william hague had gone to rishi sunak_ david cameron and william hague had gone to rishi sunak and _ david cameron and william hague had gone to rishi sunak and said, - david cameron and william hague had gone to rishi sunak and said, to- gone to rishi sunak and said, to michaet— gone to rishi sunak and said, to michael howard _ gone to rishi sunak and said, to michael howard and _ gone to rishi sunak and said, to michael howard and stay- gone to rishi sunak and said, to michael howard and stay until i gone to rishi sunak and said, to. michael howard and stay until the autumn, — michael howard and stay until the autumn, let — michael howard and stay until the autumn, let the _ michael howard and stay until the autumn, let the party— michael howard and stay until the autumn, let the party conferencel michael howard and stay until the i autumn, let the party conference be autumn, let the party conference be a beauty— autumn, let the party conference be a beauty parade _ autumn, let the party conference be a beauty parade amongst _ autumn, let the party conference be a beauty parade amongst the - a beauty parade amongst the leadership— a beauty parade amongst the leadership contenders - a beauty parade amongst the leadership contenders and i a beauty parade amongst the l leadership contenders and give a beauty parade amongst the i leadership contenders and give us time and — leadership contenders and give us time and it— leadership contenders and give us time and it looks _ leadership contenders and give us time and it looks like _ leadership contenders and give us time and it looks like from - leadership contenders and give us time and it looks like from what . leadership contenders and give us time and it looks like from what i i time and it looks like from what i was picking — time and it looks like from what i was picking up— time and it looks like from what i was picking up the _ time and it looks like from what i was picking up the date - time and it looks like from what i was picking up the date that i time and it looks like from what i was picking up the date that the i was picking up the date that the party— was picking up the date that the party is — was picking up the date that the party is heading _ was picking up the date that the party is heading in _ was picking up the date that the party is heading in that- was picking up the date that the i party is heading in that direction. it will_ party is heading in that direction. it will he — party is heading in that direction. it will he the _ party is heading in that direction. it will be the party _ party is heading in that direction. it will be the party conference i party is heading in that direction. i it will be the party conference when the two candidates at the end will be able to make their presentations,
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people will be able to hear what they have to say this is important thing, before the membership site. will there be a move to get farage impulse? — will there be a move to get farage impulse? l— will there be a move to get farage imulse? .,, ., will there be a move to get farage impulse?_ and - will there be a move to get farage impulse?_ and the i will there be a move to get farage impulse?_ and the last | impulse? i hope not. and the last time the membership _ impulse? i hope not. and the last time the membership decided, i impulse? i hope not. and the last l time the membership decided, they .ave time the membership decided, they gave you _ time the membership decided, they gave you liz— time the membership decided, they gave you liz truss! _ time the membership decided, they gave you liz truss!— gave you liz truss! farage did enormous _ gave you liz truss! farage did enormous damage _ gave you liz truss! farage did enormous damage to - gave you liz truss! farage did enormous damage to my i gave you liz truss! farage did| enormous damage to my party gave you liz truss! farage did i enormous damage to my party and gave you liz truss! farage did - enormous damage to my party and they have ended up with the government which is diametrically opposed watch nigel harris believes. let which is diametrically opposed watch nigel harris believes.— nigel harris believes. let me give ou a nigel harris believes. let me give you a flavour— nigel harris believes. let me give you a flavour of— nigel harris believes. let me give you a flavour of the _ nigel harris believes. let me give you a flavour of the front - nigel harris believes. let me give you a flavour of the front pages. | nigel harris believes. let me give. you a flavour of the front pages. at the daily telegraph, starmer unveiled his big state. the guardian, we have labour putting growth and planning at the heart of a promise to fix the uk. and starmer tries to ward off rebellion with a child property plan pond the daily mail, how will these new burdens on firms helped growth? as they call it, that is labour's workers' rights revolution which they say will cost jobs and choke growth. the times, pm six deal with europe on migrants. and avante personnel firm at risk of
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nationalisation starmer promises decade renewal. tomorrow at blenheim palace, that is what the times is referring to, a deal with europe on migrants? referring to, a deal with europe on miarants? ~ ., , migrants? were getting that summit tomorrow. i have _ migrants? were getting that summit tomorrow. i have not _ migrants? were getting that summit tomorrow. i have not had _ migrants? were getting that summit tomorrow. i have not had this - tomorrow. i have not had this confirmed, _ tomorrow. i have not had this confirmed, but _ tomorrow. i have not had this confirmed, but i _ tomorrow. i have not had this confirmed, but i believe i tomorrow. i have not had this confirmed, but i believe thatl tomorrow. i have not had this. confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden— confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i_ confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i think— confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i think has _ confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i think has tested, - confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i think has tested, it- confirmed, but i believe thatjoe biden i think has tested, it has. biden i think has tested, it has been _ biden i think has tested, it has been confirmed _ biden i think has tested, it has been confirmed that _ biden i think has tested, it has been confirmed that joe - biden i think has tested, it has been confirmed thatjoe biden| biden i think has tested, it has. been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested _ been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested positive _ been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested positive for— been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested positive for covid _ been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested positive for covid why - been confirmed thatjoe biden has tested positive for covid why we i tested positive for covid why we were _ tested positive for covid why we were due — tested positive for covid why we were due to _ tested positive for covid why we were due to see _ tested positive for covid why we were due to see him _ tested positive for covid why we were due to see him give - tested positive for covid why we were due to see him give a i tested positive for covid why we i were due to see him give a speech that has— were due to see him give a speech that has not— were due to see him give a speech that has not happened, _ were due to see him give a speech that has not happened, it- were due to see him give a speech that has not happened, it been. that has not happened, it been confirmed _ that has not happened, it been confirmed-— that has not happened, it been confirmed. ~ ., ,, .,~ confirmed. was due to speak in las veuas confirmed. was due to speak in las ve . as at confirmed. was due to speak in las vegas at a — confirmed. was due to speak in las vegas at a social— confirmed. was due to speak in las vegas at a socialjustice _ confirmed. was due to speak in las vegas at a socialjustice event i confirmed. was due to speak in las vegas at a socialjustice event and l vegas at a socialjustice event and thatis vegas at a socialjustice event and that is the event in las vegas but joe biden has tested positive for covid. that is it from us, thank you to mick lynch and nigel evans enjoy your retirement? i’m to mick lynch and nigel evans en'oy your retirement?i your retirement? i'm not going to retire, your retirement? i'm not going to retire. l'm — your retirement? i'm not going to retire. i'm only — your retirement? i'm not going to retire, i'm only 66! _ your retirement? i'm not going to retire, i'm only 66! my _ your retirement? i'm not going to retire, i'm only 66! my best i your retirement? i'm not going toj retire, i'm only 66! my best years are ahead of me! ladle retire, i'm only 66! my best years are ahead of me!— are ahead of me! we are back tomorrow. — are ahead of me! we are back tomorrow, see _ are ahead of me! we are back tomorrow, see you _ are ahead of me! we are back tomorrow, see you then, i are ahead of me! we are back| tomorrow, see you then, have are ahead of me! we are back i tomorrow, see you then, have a are ahead of me! we are back - tomorrow, see you then, have a good night.
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live from london, this is bbc news. the first labour government in ia years sets out its plans for the country, amid the pomp and pageantry of the state opening of parliament. fanfare plays in a crowded house of lords, the king says sir keir starmer�*s government will create a new national energy company, re—nationalise railways, and reform planning and health laws. our expert team at bbc verify will analyse the key announcements, and the big challenges still faced by the new government. this is the scene live
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in westminster tonight, after a day of pagentry and policy — with a prime minister promising to "take the brakes off britain", but warning there'll be "no quick fix". hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. king charles has set out the new government's plans at the state opening of parliament — 39 hills which labour say will help boost growth and take the "brakes off britain". there'll be reform of the planning system to build new infrastructure and housing. the railways will be nationalised over five years. more powers will be devolved in england to local leaders — control of bus services, for example, the rights of both renters and workers will be improved. and there'll be a new publicly—owned clean power company — great british energy.
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well, the king's speech was unveiled in parliament on a day full of pomp, pageantry, and traditions dating back centuries. our political editor chris mason was watching. no space for passing traffic on a day whose rituals predate the motor car. a — count them — six—horsepower carriage, the king on board. much of all of this unchanged in years. good morning, prime minister. but here is a bit not seen in a while — these are the plans, to be unveiled today, of a labour prime minister. fanfare this, then, their election promises, or at least some of them, today with horses, fancy dress and trumpets. a parliamentary official known as black rod, no matter how quickly she walks, gets the door to the commons slammed in her face... black rod! ..to symbolise the independence
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of the house of commons. and so to the speech, written by the government, read by the king. my government's legislative programme will be mission—led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all. stability will be the cornerstone of my government's economic policy. a knowing smile from the new chancellor — being trusted to manage the economy and firing it up is key for labour. and here's one big way they hope to do it. my ministers will get britain building, including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high—quality infrastructure and housing. next, transport, and a plan to give local leaders more power over local buses in england, and this on trains in england, scotland and wales. my ministers will bring forward legislation to improve the railways,
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by reforming railfranchising, establishing great british railways and bringing train operators into public ownership. and what about dealing with crime and small boat crossings? my government will seek to strengthen the border and make streets safer. big issues that were the old government's problem are now for the new government to sort, or try to. ministers also want to give people in england who rent their homes more rights, and eventually eradicate smoking. and this is worth a glance — the civility of small talk between victors and the defeated. it looks like rishi sunak approves of the new deputy prime minister's dress colour. order. to the debate, then, and the prime minister. sir keirstarmer. change is what this government of service will deliver, a king's speech that takes the brakes off our economy and shows
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to the british people that politics can be a force for good. a rejection in this complicated and volatile world of those who can only offer the easy answer, the snake oil charm of populism. mr sunak, the conservative leader for now, said his party would be a professional and effective opposition. and he wanted to address labour mps. if i may offer some words of advice to members opposite — on the government benches, life comes at you fast. you might end up being called to the highest office. and before you know it, you have a bright future behind you... laughter and you are left wondering whether you can credibly be an elder statesman at the age of 44. laughter this is often a day for lighter moments, but more serious ones as well. the liberal democrats said labour faced massive challenges. they have a big job
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to do, and so do we. we will work hard on behalf of our constituents, we will scrutinise the government's plans carefully and strive to improve them, and, mr speaker, we will oppose them when we think they have got it wrong. and plenty here think the government has got it wrong by keeping the two—child benefit cap, which prevents most parents claiming for a third child. the decision not to scrap the two—child benefit cap shows labour choose not to prioritise the immediate needs in the here and now of nearly a third of children in wales who live in poverty. the decision not to fund it is a political decision. and one of the new green mps in her first speech here set out what people who voted for her in brighton wanted to focus on. it was hard not to be affected by the strength of public feeling and distress about the climate emergency, the degradation of our natural environment and the huge desire to defend social
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justice and public services. this parliament must seek to deliver for them. tonight, have a guess which european leader keir starmer welcomed to chequers. the drink familiar, even if the face isn't. simon harris is the newish irish prime minister. tomorrow they'll both join more than a0 other european leaders for a summit in oxfordshire. chris mason, bbc news. throughout the election we asked what issues matter most to you. through "your voice, your vote," you told us the cost of living was a key concern. today, the new government promised to prioritise what it called wealth creation for all communities. our cost of living correspondent colletta smith has been looking at the details. we're a long way from the ceremony of westminster. king charles: my government's legislative programme... - staff here in bolton have one ear on the speech, but they're focused on the job in hand because every penny counts.
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it's not like the world's against you but it's just very difficult. it's very difficult to save at the end of every month. joe and his girlfriend have been living with his parents for the last four years because they can't afford to save and rent. it's too much, way too much. ijust can't afford it, ijust can't. i mean, they've been announcing there today some better protections for tenants. is that important? 0h, very important, very important. cos if you're living in a house that has black mould in, you're risking your health at the end of the day. macaulay�*s hoping to be able to buy his own place soon, too. more housing is good. i've seen that they're building on these new green sites. i they're putting a lot more houses up in the tops in bolton. _ more than a third of the children in this town are living below the poverty line, so for many, there is frustration that the child benefit limit isn't going to be raised to cover more than two children. i've got three, so i only get paid for two of them.
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ok. so... and it is hard work. it should go up, but they need to put a limit on how many kids. i do understand that, the more children you have, you can'tjust keep getting more and more money. it's not fair, is it? others are finding energy bills the biggest hurdle. phil and dorothy are currently in emergency credit on their gas and electric meters. we only get £249 a fortnight so, you know, if we're putting £8 a day in, it doesn't leave us very much. the government say great british energy will invest in green tech and energy bills will come down in the years ahead. it needs to be done now. you know, not in a few months, a few years. it needs to be done now. king charles: and enhance employment rights... - back at the factory, there's changes on the way for staff. and it's causing a headache for those in charge of this small business. to have someone, you know, - appear through the door on day one
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and them end up with exactly- the same rights as someone who's been here for 30 years, j i find that a bit difficult. but it is very, very difficult to be a small business employing i people on a fair basis. i won't even be able to get a deposit for my house... with so many struggling to pay the big bills in life, today's speech doesn't feel like the immediate boost many had hoped for. colletta smith, bbc news, in bolton. several hard—fought campaigns have been recognised by the new government. martyn's law — named after manchester bombing victim martyn hett — would require venues to have stronger anti—terror plans. and a hillsborough law would introduce a legal duty of candour for public servants, honouring a decades—long campaign from the families of those who died in the disaster. lauren moss has the details. without the support, we wouldn't have got this far, honestly. figen murray has campaigned tirelessly for a new law to protect the public after the death
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of her son martyn and others in the manchester arena bombing in 2017. it was the deadliest terror attack on uk soil in the last decade. martyn's law was originally proposed under the conservative government, but didn't come to pass before the election. now, labour's committed to bringing in a new bill that will force public premises and events across the uk to put in specific protections to reduce the risk of an attack. measures will be introduced to improve the safety and security of public venues and help to keep the british public safe from terrorism. absolutely delighted that it's in. totally thrilled about it. however, having said that, we've been here before with the last king's speech. but it feels different this time because i've met keir starmer. ijust — it feels like the beginning of the end of the campaign, and hopefully i'm right.
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another new law will be named in memory of those who died in the hillsborough disaster, what's called a duty of candour for public servants. the tragedy in 1989 led to decades of fighting for justice for the families of the 97 liverpool fans who were unlawfully killed. charlotte hennessy was just six years old when her fatherjimmy went to a football match and never came home. it wasn't acknowledged i that he was unlawfully killed and that he was survivable until i was 34. _ i've been very anxious leading up to this point in case _ we were let down again. the law will force authorities to be open and accountable when failures have been made and provide legal aid to families. we could only ever move forward i and learn things from hillsborough if we made sure that laws l and wrongs were corrected. both martyn's law and hillsborough law are legacies born out of loss. the loved ones of those who died have faced long journeys of heartache and grief.
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but turning that into some hope for the future that others won't suffer as they did. exact details about what the bills will contain and their passage through parliament will become clearer in the coming weeks and months. lauren moss, bbc news. so, with the government's priorities and promises having been outlined, bbc verify�*s ben chu has been looking at some of the challenges it faces. we got a sense from the king's speech today about what this government regards as its top priorities and long—term objectives. so, what are they? well, raising gdp growth, a planning and infrastructure bill and also a national wealth fund bill, devolving more powers with an english devolution bill, delivering net—zero with a gb energy bill, also bolstering workers rights with an employment rights bill. but it's notable that some short—term challenges facing keir starmer�*s government were not directly addressed in the king's speech, and let's explore some of them.
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first, public sector pay deals. decisions on pay rises for nhs staff, teachers, police and prison guards in england for 2024—25 have to be taken by the end of this month, and the government may find it needs to find an extra £7 billion per year to prevent the wages of these public sector workers from falling further behind their counterparts in the private sector. you can see from this, the average private sector inflation—adjusted wages are around li% higher than they were in 2010. but public sector wages, they're around 2.5% lower. and the average pay of nurses, teachers and doctors is even lower. so finding an extra £7 billion per year to change this picture would be challenging given the government's chosen restraints on its spending and taxation powers. but if it fails to do this, it could find its targets to recruit more teachers and nurses even harder to achieve. also not really mentioned were local councils.
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a survey of local authority leaders earlier this year found around one in ten were likely to have to effectively declare bankruptcy this financial year, which would force painful cuts in local services, and around five in ten said they were likely to go bust in this parliament unless local government funding is reformed. now, ministers could give struggling councils a direct financial top—up to keep them afloat, but that would also be expensive for the treasury. third, not really mentioned were universities. the £9250—per—year tuition fee that universities in england can charge domestic students has been frozen in cash terms since 2017. this has led to warnings some universities could well go bankrupt in 202a. so, do ministers allow universities to generate more income by raising that tuition fee? that would likely not go down very well with students. and to add to this list of items not really mentioned today, we can add the fate of the highly
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indebted thames water, which only has enough cash to last until next may. there is a bill in the king's speech to enhance the water regulator's powers, but it doesn't determine what the future of thames will be. and then there are prisons, which are almost full and projected to be overflowing. the planning reforms in the king's speech could help deliver more prison—building, but the bigger issue of reform of sentencing is not addressed. so solving these problems doesn't necessarily require legislation, but it will require decisions from ministers, sometimes in the coming months, and those decisions have the potential to be very unpopular with some people or very expensive for the government. and they have as much potential to shape this government's fortunes as what is outlined in the king's speech. some breaking news for you now — president biden has tested positive for covid—19. the white house says he is experiencing mild symptoms, and is fully vaccinated and boosted.
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the news was announced just before he was due to give a speech at an event in las vegas. we're told he will returning to delaware to self—isolate, and will carry out all of his duties during that time. so just repeating that news, we're told presidentjoe biden has tested positive for coronavirus. more as we get it. now on bbc news, it's time for the latest episode of newscast. hello, chris. hi. there isn't really a salutation for, like, happy king's speech day, is there? that's it, really. no, i don't suppose there is, really, no. but as is tradition, you were sat in a very red room with some quite posh people on bbc one in the morning — which is what you're doing these days. i mean, reeta chakrabarti, i always think of as regal. yeah, true. and, yeah, robert hardman, a brilliant royal writer in the daily mail, and then various political guests and... yeah, it's that thing, isn't it? i mean, i know for us guys reporting on politics, perhaps for the most devoted
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newscasters, there's a certain sort of predictability to the ritual. but, i mean, i think for me, the overall kind of thing i felt today was that you get the ritual, which doesn't change, and then the politics that's just changed completely. the house of commons just feels so different. to be discussed. the thing that really struck me was when chris bryant, who is a culture minister in the new government but also an expert on parliamentary procedure... sir chris bryant. sorry if you're listening, sir chris. after everyone was talking about atomic kitten yesterday and gareth southgate, he referenced the sugababes! this is, if you like, the sugababes moment. this is when we push the button. shortly afterwards, after that bit, the kind of fancy bit, came the katy perry moment — roar. the returning roar of politics. boom—boom! less said about her new single, the better. anyway, let's push the button on the new newscast trademark opening titles. a fresh batch has just been delivered right now. newscast.
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newscast from the bbc. laura kuenssberg: the exit poll is predicting a labour landslide. keir starmer: we did it! rishi sunak: and before you know it, lyou have a bright future behind you. | donald trump: i really don't know what he said | at the end of that sentence. jill biden: joe, you | did such a great job. you answered every question! shania twain: take me down to downing street. | let's go have a tour! blimey! the state opening of newscast. hello, it's adam and the newscast studio. and it's chris in the newscast studio. and that is... i mean, there's some stuff in there from just today, isn't it? yeah. i mean, our elves are super quick. i was wondering how long that little short one was going to last before we went back to our tradition of, you know, little clips... bits of history! so we just had the state opening of parliament, which is what happens at the beginning of every new session of parliament. it's got particular significance, of course, when it's a new government, because it's their big shop window of policies. and the thing about this speech is the king reads it out,
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but he doesn't write it. it's the government saying, "here are the first, in this case, 35 pieces of legislation we're going to introduce to parliament." or 39, i think, wasn't it? no, because there's some draft bills... there's some draft bills. it's between 35 and a0. it's pretty hefty in number. 1,431 words the king uttered on the government's behalf, making it the longest state opening of parliament speech in 20 years, and i think the seventh—longest since the second world war. you have done a bbc one programme, haven't you? i have, i have, and the thing i was struck by, just in terms of the performance of the monarch, the nature of constitutional monarchy is they are apolitical. and yet in this particular moment, they are thrust into a very political role because they are reading out their government's very political wish list of planned new laws. and so the knack... and the queen used to do this — the late queen — and the king now does it, where you do it in an intentionally, utterly flat delivery,
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because you can't... i mean, imagine you got an itch in one of your eyebrows, and then you raised it to try and deal with the itch that would look like... well, do you remember? everyone said the queen's hat one year was a political statement about the eu. oh, yes. no, it's funny you say that because quite often you have the monarch having to say political slogans like, "get brexit done" or "we will level up the country." and so there was less sort of sloganeering today in the speech, but definitely the king having to say some some labour campaign talking points. have a listen to this. my lords and members of the house of commons, my government will govern in service to the country. my government's legislative programme will be mission—led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all. stability will be the cornerstone of my government's economic policy, and every decision will be consistent with its fiscal rules. quite a lot of that.
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i don't think it would be wildly uncharitable to say a sort of rhetorical guff, really. i mean, as in the vast majority of governments in the last 100 years could have had that at the top of the king or queen's speech, save, perhaps, for that last bit which was a pointed jab at the previous government — the idea around fiscal rules. and in fact, one of the bills is legally mandating the office for budget responsibility, the kind of independent watchdog of the numbers, to look at the government's numbers when it is proposing what they describe as significant tax changes. that is clearly a jibe at liz truss and the mini budget and the whole thing that wasn't put through the the obr. but, yeah, i mean, you know, you get... it's quite a moment, isn't it, hearing the monarch reading out that kind of stuff? it always is. right. there's loads of things we could choose from to talk about. what would you like to talk about first? what should we talk about? railways? yeah. oh, yeah, so railways... so this is enacting...
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and this is the thing — a lot of this stuff was enacting what was in the labour manifesto, which is why it's not surprising. there's no gotchas. there's no rabbits out of the hat. it's stuff that we knew was coming. and labour are pointedly trying to say, "we are not doing surprises," as in, you know, "this is what we campaigned on, this is what we got elected on and this is what we'll now try and do." and also, it would be a surprise if there was a surprise in the king's speech. it's not really the venue for doing that sort of stunt. but, yeah, some people call it rail nationalisation. and i suppose ultimately it will be, but it's sort of not quite as wham bam as that. it's this idea that as the existing rail franchises, which are in the hands of commercial operators, as they expire, they will automatically be brought back into government so that you have a publicly—run railway, basically, at the end of all the franchises... yeah, and it's probably the single biggest and most easily understandable kind of thing that a government of the left would be keen on, that a government of the right would be likely to be less keen on. now, both sides make an argument that it's less about ideology and more about what works, etc, etc, etc, but it's a very
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kind of labour—ish idea. not a surprise. they've talked about it for years and they say that it's popular, including among a lot of people who have recently voted conservative. but, yeah, you know, it's a marker of how things have changed. also, i mean, there were publicly—run railway franchises under the conservative government — quite a few of them, in fact. but also it's another example of... and you hear labour politicians talking about this revolution there's going to be in the railways as a result of this idea, and also introducing great british railways. but ijust hear them saying that and i think, "hang on, some of the things you've just pointed out, like train wi—fi not being very good or engineering things or running, that's not necessarily a product of whether we're private company or a government—owned company runs that particular rail line. they're just functions of the railway system." yeah... so they've got to be careful to not overpromise. yes. no, exactly. and then as you say with that one in particular, it's going to be a really gradual process, depending on when the existing franchises run out — unless a franchise hits spectacular trouble and ends up, as happened under the previous government,
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falling into public hands almost by accident. and also this thing of setting up great british railways, which they called the "guiding mind" for the railways, so it could sort of oversee everything rather than everything being split up amongst different companies — i mean, that's something they inherited from the previous government. like, grant shapps, when he was transport secretary, had started work on that, what, about two, two and a bit years ago? so, a, these things can take quite a lot of time when people are expecting a big bang and, b, actually quite a lot of stuff today was inherited from the last government. and i think, you know, you could see this in �*97, you could see it in 2010, you can see it now — when a party has had a long stint in government, part of the process of the opposition becoming electable again, even if they don't quite admit this in as many words, is accepting quite a lot of what they spent many years opposing in the intervening period, because they have to appear reassuring to people who've spent years voting for the other lot. and so you get all sorts of that. now, there's some particular
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examples in here of stuff thatjust fell off the end of the table at the end of the last parliament

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