Wednesday, May 27, 2015

QUEEN'S SPEECH SETS OUT EU REFERENDUM

An EU referendum by 2017 has been promised by Britain's new Conservative government amid the pomp and ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II set out her government's legislative programme at Westminster - after the country's general election in May.

Conservative Prime Minster David Cameron describes it as an agenda 'for working people'.

But the question of Britain's EU membership was central to the Queen's Speech.

As Olly Barratt reports from Westminster.

IN: "As tradition... 
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2.49 seconds




TAKE BLACK ROD

As tradition dictates, the man known as Black Rod, has the House of Commons doors slammed in his face to signify commons independence.

TAKE UPSOT

"It is black rod"

"Open the doors"

VO: 

He then leads MPs into the House of Lords to listen to the Queen.

TAKE PROCESSION

Britain's monarchs have been doing in one form or another this since the 16th century.

And as expected she set out plans for an EU referendum.

TAKE QUEEN ELIZABETH II

""My government will renegotiate the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union and pursue a reform of the European Union for the benefit of all member states. Alongside this early legislation will be introduced to provide for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union before the end of 2017."

Conservative MEP Richard Ashworth believes it's reform the government is capable of achieving.

CLIP

It wa a day many Conservatives hardly dared to believe would come.

A lot of them expected - at best - the Queen would be presenting the legislative agenda of a Conservative-led coalition.

As it is, it's the first all Conservative Queen's Speech since 1996.

The Prime Minister says it was a speech for 'working people'.

And it also set out plans to devolve further powers to Scotland after the independence referendum, and success of Scottish nationalists in the general election.

But not only Scotland.

TAKE QUEEN ELIZABETH II

"My government will also bring forward legislation to secure a strong and lasting constitutional settlement, devolving wide-ranging powers to Scotland and Wales."

But the event was used by anti-austerity protesters who say they will campaign to bring the government down.

Claire Laker-Mansfield from the Youth Fight for Jobs Campaign took to the streets as the Queen headed away fromparliaemt.

CLIP

The Queen takes no part in writing this speech - she delivers it year after year on behalf of her government. This was her 64th.

Now it's up to the Conservatives to work through the long list of plans she outlined, with only a slim parliamentary majority.


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Olly Barratt
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