Today’s Queen’s Speech is about recognising and grasping the opportunities that lie ahead for the United Kingdom as we leave the European Union and building a stronger, fairer country for all of us.
The election result was not the one we hoped for, but this Government will respond with humility and resolve to the message the electorate sent. Over the coming months and years, we will work hard every day to gain the trust and confidence of the British people, making your priorities our priorities.
We need to get Brexit right, with a deal that commands maximum public support. A new Repeal Bill will provide as much legal certainty as possible for businesses and individuals as we leave the European Union. A Trade Bill and a Customs Bill will allow us to trade and to do business with countries right across the world. And an Immigration Bill and a Fisheries Bill will mean that we take back control over our borders and our waters.
We will build a stronger economy and a fairer society so we can improve people’s living standards and fund public services like our NHS and schools on which we all depend. Not only will we continue to increase the National Living Wage and ban letting agents from charging fees to tenants, but we will make sure that people are allowed to go as far as their talents will take them. So we will continue to provide a good school place for every child, take further action on domestic violence as well as offering more support for people who suffer from mental health issues.
We will keep our country safe. That means continuing to spend at least 2 per cent of our national income on defence. It means stamping out extremist ideology in all its forms, and we will establish a new Commission for Countering Extremism. And it also means supporting our Armed Forces and a new Armed Forces Bill will give those who bravely serve our country more flexibility in the way they live and work.
We will build a more united nation. Amongst many other things, the contents of the programme will support the burgeoning aerospace industry in Wales, protect access to UK waters which are so important to Scottish fishermen and open new markets for key exporting industries in Northern Ireland.
This is a Government with purpose. Determined to deliver the best Brexit deal. Intent on building a stronger economy and a fairer society. Committed to keeping our country safe, enhancing our standing in the wider world and bringing our United Kingdom closer together. And putting ourselves at the service of millions of ordinary working people for whom we will work every day in the national interest.