mediocrity. >> supreme court justice anthony kennedy on the prospect of a new justice pierre >> it is stressful for us because we so admire our colleagues. we wonder will it ever be the same. but i have great admiration for this system. this system works. after the appointment and the confirmation process, if there is a confirmation, the system will bring us a very, very good justice. >> with the confirmation hearings of elena kagan starting june 28th, learn more about the nation's highest court in our book, "the supreme court." it is available now in hard cover. . .

>> this the state opening of parliament. of their warm welcome to our audience here on college green.

this is where the queen will be arriving all later, just a few yards away the sovereign interests and there she will be presenting the government's platform for the year ahead. the most radical program in the nation's 4200 years. will be talking with people about the new political landscape with just a few weeks ago. today we want to underline a blend of past and present. this is a ceremony -- in five centuries of tradition. >> picked up. lances.

march. >> the yeoman of the guard have already performed their search of the palace. all set to work for the queen when she arrives. they take credit for pulling the gunpowder plot back in 1603. more modest security arrangements here ahead of the rival. this is the main ceremony. the queen takes away from buckingham palace. inside the house of lords, a chamber work guests have started to our right.

will see the faces of former ministers and a keen from locator of the economic crisis and a last year or two. other members are of the and house of commons. the mp's will be crowding into hear the speech. >> i will be joined by some of the commons 230 new faces and talk about the veterans as they gather together be here with the new coalition government has in store. >> a very special day for this man. britain's to prime minister, david cameron, a arrive today after taking office. nick clegg, a big day, too, the deputy prime minister.

no longer a member of the opposition party. he was attending cabinet this morning. the opposition to date will be led by harriet harman, standing and as labour leader. she will be responding to the queen's speech when that gets under way in the commons this afternoon. we might get a flavor of that debate today with a cast that we have with us. we have a former cabinet minister for labour and the bbc political editor. we will be joined by another cabinet minister. she is on her way to join us in a few minutes. the state opening always a significant advance -- event, but we have a new coalition

disquiet among mp's in the governing party's three it follows the most event will election in many years. -- the and mental -- the most eventful election in many years. >> former rivals working together for the first time in more than 16 years. this brand new parliament. this propelled them into public view. >> then it was down to voting.

but no one party able to control, we had to wait for politicians talking behind closed doors to see if the deal could be done. >> you are the kingmaker, after all? >> hours and hours of their talks with conservatives. they were talking in secret with the labour party too. they stood their ground and then there were tempted by the tories. gordon brown decided to go and get a rare glimpse of his sons. david cameron did not achieve the victory the tories needed. but just an hour after labour departed from power, the new prime minister was then. his partner made his first no.

10 appeared -- the parents. then at carefully scripted press conference in the sunshine of the downing street garden. >> do you know rating joke about nick clegg? >> i am afraid that i did. no, no, come back. >> there may be smiles from now but there norstar is that the two friends will have a happy ending. >> the royal family and distinguished visitors from the roving -- moving from the robing room into the chamber of the house of lords. and then the beach will be delivered from the throne itself.

there are some guests in the galleries around. we of the bishop of london there. the james, the author -- p.d. james, the offer, we were talking to her the other day. l 3ord lamont, we've seen him already. and then lost to say about the new coalition government. and then next to him, lord morris, the new attorney general. the strangers gallery in the house of lords, and there's some detail there before the ceremony will happen. good morning. it is good to see you. >> very exciting for me as that

i am not an opposition for the very first time. this a government which i am a part. this is something -- a new coalition government -- never before in living memory have we seen this. >> as far as expectations, what can we look ahead to? >> if they can build something that was like a program. they're trying to put that team on the queen's speech, but there is often a hold disparate collection of bills that they have to do. this government's -- i expect the phrases will pay get locked very quickly in the people's minds. and how will they deal with the tensions between them? will they give teachers more freedom and allow schools to be set up?

hall that operate in the clashes and the questions that the labour party will want to point out? >> it is not 13 years -- it is not after 13 years our intention to simply oppose. we want to get back to what the country wants at this stage but we will scrutinized very carefully the impact of legislation on the promises, the commitments that the tories and liberals have made. perhaps the most important thing is securing the recovery. that was absolutely our priority. securing this recovery, avoiding a double-dip recession, and creating the economic circumstances that will drive growth. and there does not seem to be enough of that.

it may have been leaked to the sunday papers. >> given that you are part of the government, would you and your colleagues, are you taking credit for lots of the reforms that nick clegg is putting forward? >> we have the outline, freedom, fairness, and responsibility, three very important things. there is more legislation that will be in the queen's speech, the referendum on their votes to call on all parties to coalesce together with the referendum. the potential change in the house of lords will come up in the very near future, we hope, directly elected.

hopefully we will get to grips with many things. that is an important part of this queen's speech. so is the emphasis on fairness. and a commitment to have a social care which will be transparency, not just the two coalition parties giving hope for something in the future. >> it is a tremendously ambitious program, jam packed for the next 18 months. >> we want to be ambitious for our country. we have had the ambition in order to turn around and get the economy moving. you do not want legislation for legislations say. the queen's speech is about passing the law. turning the economy around, that will be on june the 22nd. but the coalition government has

got to grips yester day with its announcement on making savings to demonstrate how important it is to keep the recovery going. >> i would argue -- we would argue that a number of areas identified for cuts in the 6 billion that was announced, and that was by parliament, not to parliament yesterday, like sacking that you -- the future fund, loss of jobs for young people, and many of the subsidies that would begin to drive real investment in manufacturing, that is not building a platform for growth. >> just picking up on that vein, lots to cover and we can hear the band rehearsing already. when that starts properly, we

will be very fast to it. we a part a lot about efficiency savings. what is the evidence of an and dishes savings plan yesterday? if you've got george osborne doing that, the promise before the election would be 6 billion of efficiency savings. the government found that it could not raise that, they could only to 95 million, a tiny fraction of that. it had to be free brought into this package because they could not find the money from its efficiency savings alone. that is why there is some more. it depends on how you look at it. government could do that but it

already had to take 20 different positions. >> let's remind you why we're doing this. at the moment we have a huge deficit. if we take that, the jobs for the future fine, the problem was not yet as a program, even at the person that was supposed to be getting employment actually did not turn up for work. that was a waste. labor pledges to increase by 20,000, and they are increasing by 10 per -- 10,003 we are increasing that and hire a education. >> if you look at the entrance of the -- a sovereign interests, what say what you are looking at today. this is where the queen will be arriving of little later on.

the great state coach will bring the queen and. before then, keep your eye on this, because this will give you the first sense of the ceremonial beginning. the detachment of the house is cabaret, on their way by the sound of it. let's wait to see. this is the scene outside the house of commons, and if you look into the victoria tower, you can see the dismount of the cavalry. and they are moving into what we call the norman staircase, sometimes known as the sovereign staircase. that will line the staircase and readiness for the queen's arrival.

but certainly there, they're one of the first groups to take their places before the state opening of parliament. them make their way slowly up that norman staircase to the norman porch. is called the norman porch because it was meant to be an area where there were lots of statues of norman kings, but that did not quite work out. lots of statues of former prime ministers, and a great picture of queen victoria dominating the porch. it is called the norman porch and norman staircase for traditional reasons. they are young and fairly inexperienced, never attending a ceremony -- ceremonial event before.

they make their way up the staircase into the lords' gallery of little later on. before then, you will see the imperial crown and other members -- other items of the regalia are writing. -- all right thing. -- arriving. >> alongside tradition today, there is a lot of change. not least, at 232 newly elected mp's here for the state opening of parliament. i'm joined by three of them. what is it like being here campaign? >> at very thrilling, it really is. it is a thrill to come and as a member.

>> is exciting and we're lucky to be here. so much to learn, so much to be. >> what is the us so far? all sorts of quirky tradition, but what is cocksure right? >> when black rod comes in and knocks on the door three times. >> a lot the focus is on the pomp and circumstance as. >> i think this represents the government, and i am looking forward to what that government intends to do, and that is when i can do is mp. >> so far we have been talking about what the democrats will do

phen we get to hear it in the speech. it will be performed by our government. >> you can actually hear from your colleagues and from the government benches. >> i cannot imagine that it would turn out both ways. a tremendous opportunity to make a difference to change. >> there been a few reservations about what is going on. >> no reservations about what is going on. my constituents bring -- sent me here to bring some change. i am looking for to hearing what she says. i also want to hear the queen

for the first time in a flash. >> thank you so much. thank you for sharing your expectations for the day. from the central lobby, back to you. >> thank you to your guests. this is the scene of the long gallery were the gilding of the card has just come in and measured in a dignified way, the oldest military court in existence. they are his own personal bodyguard. and here they are in some shape the queen's body guard as they are now known, but there they are in their red and gold, a very important component of today's ceremony. and we're enjoying this lovely day at westminster. it is rather warm, and we are all feeling the heat. but we are enjoying the event

because we had been through some of the legislation. it is clearly the substance of today. a little step back and remind people that we have the queen's speech to date has been written by a coalition government for the first time, 60 years or so. just underlining the significance. >> is a part because it is a scripted. there were not that many days ago wondering at that there would be a coalition government. in some countries in take as many as 40 days. it is a tribute to the politicians and fall. but there are some on in some heroes in the cabinet. there are some academics as well getting people ready. >> we will be back in at all for a second because we're watching the gentlemen in on making their way into the lower gallery, and

the ribbon there which has been attached to their standard that reminds us that they were formed as a troop of a gentleman by henry viii, back in 59. 1509. here we have the real symbol of the queen's authority, the imperial state crown are writing at the victoria court. preparations being made for the crown to be transferred from the coach into the building. the crown jeweler looking after the crown.

the sergeant of arms within days -- the mace and other symbols of the queen's authority. the crown jeweler answer to it master. -- handing it to the barge master. it's a reminder of the time that the crown jewels came down the thames river. here is the lord comptroller of the chamberlain's office. he takes the crown. and it is his duty to take it into the building. it will eventually be put on display in the royal gallery

before the queen arrives. there is, the imperial state crown. it is only used its coronations and state opening parliament. this particular one made for george vi, but it is a replica of one made for queen victoria in 1838. he takes the crown and and goes into the regalia room just for a few minutes, where the crown will be put on its own display cushion, and then emerge very quickly to the royal gallery where it is put on display.

safely into regalia room, and the house of lords absolutely packed. both spiritual and temporal, people from church of england, and here is lady thatcher, with us today, who suffered some read it -- ill health recently but very pleased to see her at the state opening 2010. lord coke is on the right, and ward feltman on the right, former chairman of the conservative union. there have britain's senior judges ready to witness the events today. they have very good seats, right

in front of the crowd, that is where the lord chancellor presides over the house of lords. this is the scene in downing street just a few minutes ago, and this underlines the change in british prop -- politics. the prime minister and his deputy, conservative and liberal democrats, walking together to the state opening of parliament. the question has been replaced -- cushion has been replaced, taken to the royal gallery where it will be laid there on display until the queen arrives. it would then be taken to the queen so she can wear the crown in the procession into the house of lords.

the lord great chamberlain, the man in charge in the royal part of the house of westminster, taking the crown. the omen of the guard -- y eomen of the guard "protective wallet is on display there, and two symbols of the queen's authority, important parts of today's ceremonial, the cap of maintenance and the sort of state swor --sword of state. that is a