The One Nation Queen's Speech: Cameron lays out plans for first Tory-only government for two decades with promise to help working people get on, buy a home and save for the future

The One Nation Queen's Speech: Cameron lays out plans for first Tory-only government for two decades with promise to help working people get on, buy a home and save for the future

David Cameron promises 'One Nation' government in the first Conservative Queen's Speech for two decades

30million workers will get an income tax cut under plan to increase personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020

Law will be changed to rule out any rise in income tax, VAT or National Insurance for the next five years

Free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds will be doubled to 30 hours per week where both parents are in work

Plan to scrap Human Rights Act hits buffers and delayed until next year to head off rebellion in Tory ranks

EU referendum to be held by 2017 and major new tax-raising powers promised to the Scottish Parliament

David Cameron today vowed to 'build something special' as the Queen officially announced his One Nation vision for governing the country for the next 12 months.

Laying out plans for tax cuts, home ownership and free childcare, the Prime Minister said he now had the mandate to 'get on and do it', after securing the first Tory majority since 1992.

In Her Majesty's 'most gracious speech to Parliament' this morning she said he government 'will legislate in the interests of everyone in the country'.

In an ambitious programme of laws to be passed in the next 12 months, Mr Cameron holds out the promise of 'a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and a secure retirement'.

It includes a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union, a fresh crackdown on illegal immigration and new powers for Britain's spies and police to target terrorists, extremists and paedophiles.

But a row erupted after it emerged a Tory promise to scrap the Human Rights Act has been delayed, fearing it could be scuppered by an earlier rebellion.

Addressing peers and MPs in the Houses of Lords, the Queen laid out a programme of tax cuts, job creation and house building


The Queen lays out programme of tax cuts and job creation

The State Opening of Parliament sees the Queen travel from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in one of the great occasions of the political calendar.

It is the 62nd time during her reign that the Queen has delivered a speech setting out the laws and reforms of the government of the day.

Sitting on the throne in the Houses of Lords, the Queen said: 'My government will legislate in the interests of everyone in the country.

'It will adopt a One Nation approach , helping working people get on, supporting aspiration, giving new opportunities to the most disadvantaged and bringing different parts of our country together.'

The first fully Conservative Queen's Speech in almost 20 years included:

The promise of full employment, including 2million more jobs and 3million extra apprenticeships
No income tax paid on the minimum wage, and a law ruling out income tax, national insurance an VAT rises before 2020

A major programme of house building, with 1.3million social housing tenants able to buy their own home and 20,000 Starter Homes for young first time buyers
Major welfare reforms, including cutting the amount which can be claimed in benefits to £23,000 while banning under-21s from starting a life on welfare
New tax raising and spending powers for Scotland, countered with a new pledge to ensure English votes for English laws

Mr Cameron hopes to use today to seize the political initiative while his opponents are still licking their wounds from their election defeat.

The Prime Minister is reclaiming the 'One Nation' slogan briefly adopted by Labour under Ed Miliband to promise 'security and opportunity for everyone'.

He said the legislative programme was 'challenging but doable, optimistic but realistic'.

'It's the bold first step of a One Nation Government – a Government for working people. And this is the Britain we're setting out to create: a Britain where you can get a decent job, have a good education, buy a home of your own, have dignity when you retire, and feel safe and secure throughout your life.

'In the last Parliament we laid the foundations for that; in this Parliament we will use them to build something special. We've now got the majority we need. With this Queen's Speech we're going to get on and do it – for every single person in this great nation.'

It is the 62nd time during her reign that the Queen has delivered a speech setting out the laws and reforms of the government of the day

The programme aimed at blue-collar workers, includes a pledge that workers on the minimum wage will pay no income tax.

A law will be passed to ensure that as the minimum wage rises, the point at which income tax kicks in will also increase. It will mean that anyone working 30 hours a week on the minimum wage will not pay any income tax. Taking the personal allowance to £12,500 will benefit 30million people, Downing Street said.

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to use a Budget in July to also promise to increase the 40p tax threshold to £50,000 to ease the tax burden on the middle classes.

The Queen's Speech includes a new law ruling out increases in VAT, income tax or National Insurance rates for the next five years.

The government also commits to creating 2million more jobs as part of its ambition for full employment, including the creation of 3million more apprenticeships.

Working parents will be promised help with childcare, with free care for 3 and 4-year-olds doubling to 30 hours per week.

A Full Employment and Welfare Bill will commit to the target of securing full employment 'and provide more people with the security of a job'.

Ministers say it will help to create 2million extra jobs, and provide young people with the skills and experience they need to find work and not begin a life on benefits.

The benefit cap limiting the amount which can be claimed in state handouts will be lowered to £23,000, while working age benefits, tax credits and child benefit will be frozen for two years.

An extra 3million apprenticeships will be created, in part funded by a levy on firms who use foreign labour instead of hiring Brits.

An Enterprise Bill promises to cut £10billion of red-tape for business, making it easier for small firms to secure prompt payment from customers and overhaul business rates.

The Right To Buy scheme first introduced by Margaret Thatcher will be relaunched to allow 1.3million people in housing association properties to buy their own home with a large discount.

A Housing Bill will also include 20,000 Starter Homes for young first-time buyers offered at a 20 per cent discount on their market value and promise to bring brownfield sites into use while speeding up the planning system.

On education, there is a pledge of 500 more free schools and coasting schools will be forced to turn into academies to drive up standards.

There will also be a new drive to speed up adoption, including merging adoption services to match children with prospective parents 'without delay'.

Scotland is to get major new powers promised in the run up to last year's independence referendum, making Holyrood one of the most devolved parliaments in the world.

It includes giving Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon power on income tax and spending.

For the first time, more than half of all money spent by the Scottish government will be raised by the Scottish Parliament.

Holyrood will set income tax rates, keep the first 10 per cent of VAT raised in Scotland and have control over £2.5billion in welfare spending.

As part of a trade-off ordered by Mr Cameron, changes will also be made to ensure 'English votes for English laws'.

'These changes will create fairer procedures to ensure that decisions affecting England, or England and Wales, can be taken only with the consent of the majority of Members of Parliament representing constituencies in those parts of our United Kingdom,' the Queen said. 

Pageantry: The Queen looks serious as she prepares to give her speech for the 64th time while Prince Philip grins as they are followed by Charles and Camilla

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travel to Parliament in the Diamond Jubilee state coach escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Entrance: Her majesty is helped from the carriage by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh and then walks into Parliament 

Crown jewels: The Imperial State Crown includes 2868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies, and weighs more than 2lb

MPs make their way to House of Lords for Queen's speech

QUEEN'S SPEECH: AT-A-GLANCE

Law will guarantee minimum wage workers pay no income tax

Guarantee not to raise VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax

Cap benefits at £23,000 a year

Seven-day a week access to your GP

Provide 30 hours of free childcare to working parents of three and four year-olds

Extend the Right to Buy to 1.3million Housing Association tenants

Build 200,000 new Starter Homes – 20 per cent below the market price, for first-time buyers under 40

Give English MPs a veto over matters only affecting England, including on Income Tax

Hold an in-out EU referendum by the end of 2017

An end to subsidies for wind farms

A European Union Referendum Bill promises to renegotiate Britain's membership of the EU before holding an in-out by the end of 2017.

There is growing speculation it could be held next year, to avoid French and German elections due in 2017.

An Extremism Bill includes banning orders for groups thought to be using hate speech and 'disruption orders' for individuals judged to pose a threat to British values.

Ofcom will also have a new role to stop channels broadcasting extremist content, while employers will have to change whether an individual is an extremist and stop them working with children.

An Investigatory Powers Bill will include new powers for the intelligence services to access online communication following fears encrypted services were being used by terrorists to plot atrocities.

The Policing and Criminal Justice Bill ensure 17-year-olds are treated as children by police and the courts, while there will also be an end to people being kept on bail for more than a year.

Ministers will consult on a new criminal offence of 'wilful neglect' if professionals fail to protect children from abuse.

Hundreds of so-called 'head shops' which peddle legal highs on Britain's high streets will be forced to close under the Psychoactive Substances Bill.

The ban on all new synthetic drugs will stop the estimated 250 shops circumventing the law and selling noxious substances with impunity.

Major cities in England will also get new powers if they opt to have a powerful directly-elected Mayor, like Boris Johnson in London.

A High Speed Rail Bill will commit to the first phase of the super-fast line from London to the West Midlands, with the power to seize land and homes which lie on the route.

A major crackdown on immigration is promised, including a new offence of working illegally which will give police power to seize wages of people who do not have a right to work in the UK.

In an eye-catching new announcement, ministers are considering imposing a new levy on 'businesses that us foreign labour' to pay for apprenticeships for young Britons, although they would also be open to EU nationals.

A new enforcement agency will crack down on the worst cases of exploitation of workers. It will also be made harder for illegal migrants to access services, with landlords given more powers to evict illegal tenants. Banks will be forced to take action to close accounts held by illegal immigrants.


Prime Minister David Cameron made awkward conversation with acting Labour leader Harriet Harman


Chancellor George Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron listen intently to the new laws and reforms which they hope to implement

'Northern powerhouse' in Queen's speech has George smirking

MPs of all parties gather at the bar in the House of Lords to hear the Queen lay out the legislative programme for the next year

Home Secretary Theresa May will press ahead with plans for a new 'deport first, appeal later' principle for all immigration cases, to stop people delaying their removal from the UK.

All foreign criminals awaiting deportation will be tagged using sat-nav technology to prevent them absconding.

A Trade Unions Bill heralds the biggest changes to rules industrial action since the 1980s. It will make public sector strikes in health, education, fire and transport services illegal unless at least 40 per cent of eligible staff vote for it.

Turnout in all strike ballots will also have to be least 50 per cent to ensure that 'disruption to essential public services has a democratic mandate'.



Heir to the throne: Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall again attended his mother's speech to Parliament as he continues to share her duties 

Couple: Charles and Camilla smile as they walk towards the House of Lords surrounded by armed guards today

Ahead of the Queen's Speech, Mr Cameron said: 'Behind this Queen's Speech is a clear vision for what our country can be. A country of security and opportunity for everyone, at every stage of life.

'That is our ambition. To build a country where whoever you are and wherever you live you can have the chance of a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and the peace of mind that comes from being able to raise a family and enjoy a secure retirement.

'A country that backs those who work hard and do the right thing.

'This is the Queen's Speech for working people from a One Nation Government that will bring our country together.

'We have a mandate from the British people, a clear manifesto and the instruction to deliver. And we will not waste a single moment in getting on with the task.




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The Queen's Imperial State Crown travels on its own to the Houses of Parliament before being carried into for the State Opening of Parliament

The Regalia - the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and Sword of State - travel in their own carriage, ahead of the monarch, escorted by senior members of the royal household

This morning, Labour's acting leader Harriet Harman said: 'We fear the reality of this Queen's speech will be very different from the rhetoric. The Queen's speech will talk of a 'One Nation approach' – yet Cameron sets the nations of the country against each other.

'The Queen's speech will talk of helping 'working people' – yet Cameron threatens basic rights at work. The real question for this Queen's Speech will be whether it improves our country, our communities and people.'

Nick Clegg, who makes his return to the political frontline after quitting as Lib Dem leader, will respond to the Queen's Speech for his party.

He will say: 'The Liberal Democrats worked hard to ensure that the Coalition Government's agenda had a clear thread of liberalism running through it – from the priority we gave to mental health and the green agenda, to creating the pupil premium and protecting our civil liberties.

'So it is dispiriting – if pretty unsurprising – to see how quickly, instead of building on those achievements, the new Conservative Government is turning its back on that liberal stance.

'The human rights we hold dear, our right to privacy in an online age, our future as an open-minded, outward-looking country, are all hanging in the balance again because of the measures being announced by the Conservative Government.'


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Members of the House of Lords gather to watch the traditional ceremonial search of the chambers by the Yeoman warders prior to the start of the annual State opening of parliament


Members of the Yeoman warders line up in the grand surroundings of the House of Lords as they await the arrival of the Queen

The Queen has opened Parliament on all but two occasions throughout her reign. These were 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

It is the Queen's duty as Head of State to formally open each new session of Parliament. The State Opening of Parliament forms the most colourful event of the Parliamentary year and is steeped in tradition and customs dating back centuries.

Before the Queen travels to Parliament from Buckingham Palace, certain historical 'precautions' are observed, including the Yeomen of the Guard, the oldest of the royal bodyguards, arming themselves with lanterns to search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster, a practice which dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of November 5 1605. This is followed by a more scientific police search.

Another tradition sees a Government whip held 'hostage' at the Palace to ensure the Queen's safe return. The role of hostage falls to Keighley and Ilkley MP Kris Hopkins today. The custom dates back to centuries when the monarch and Parliament were on less cordial terms.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travel to Parliament in the Diamond Jubilee state coach escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Street liners guard the whole route and present arms as the royal party passes.

Journey: Her Majesty leaves the Palace in her gold coach surrounded by her guards on a glorious morning in London


Guardsmen stand to attention as the Queen's carriage leaves Buckingham Palace in the bright May sunshine over central London

Struggles: A member of the Queen's Guard is carried on a stretcher after collapsing while on duty in The Mall, near Buckingham Palace

Grandure: The procession heads down the sun-basked Mall in London as her majesty makes the short journey down to Westminster




Guardsmen stand to attention in front of Buckingham Palace ahead of the State Opening of Parliament setting out the Conservative plans after winning the general election earlier this month


A horse rears up as a carriage leaves Buckingham Palace before the Queen makes her way to the Houses of Parliament

Lining the route of the procession are servicemen from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, F Company Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, detachments of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

The Regalia - the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and Sword of State - travel in their own carriage, ahead of the monarch, escorted by senior members of the royal household.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will join the Queen and Philip at Westminster, travelling in the Irish state coach - the third successive year Charles and Camilla have taken part in the event.

As the Queen reaches the House of Lords, a 41-gun salute will be fired by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, supported by the Band of the Royal Artillery, in Green Park.

On arrival, the Queen puts on the Imperial State Crown and her parliamentary robe ready for the ceremony itself in the House of Lords. No monarch has set foot in the House of Commons since Charles I entered the Commons and tried to arrest five Members of Parliament in 1642.

The Queen is met at the Palace of Westminster's Sovereign's Entrance by the Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain, who, as Keeper of the Royal Palace, wears scarlet court dress and has hanging at his hip the golden key to the Palace.




Crowds gathered on The Mall to watch soldiers march from Buckingham Palace as part of the pageantry which is a key feature of the State Opening Of Parliament

In an ambitious programme of laws to be passed in the next 12 months, Mr Cameron will vow his One Nation government will offer 'a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and a secure retirement'

As the Queen moves up the Sovereign's Staircase to the Robing Chamber, she passes between two lines of dismounted Household Cavalry soldiers in full dress with drawn swords. They are the only troops allowed to bear arms within the Royal Palaces.

After putting on the Imperial State Crown and parliamentary robe, the Queen leads a procession through the Royal Gallery, packed with more than 600 guests, to the Chamber of the House of Lords, where she takes the throne.

The Sovereign's Procession is led by senior parliamentary and government officers, including the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords and the Lord Privy Seal.

The Great Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance, symbols of the Sovereign's power and authority, are carried in front of the Monarch.

When the Queen sits down, the Lord Great Chamberlain signals to an official, known as the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, in his capacity as the Sovereign's Messenger to summon the House of Commons and demand their presence.


Ahead of the first Conservative Queen's Speech for almost two decades, the Yeoman of the Guard pass through the Peer's Lobby during the ceremonial search of the Houses of Parliament

Lining the route of the procession are servicemen from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, F Company Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, detachments of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force

As he approaches the Commons, the door of the Chamber is slammed in Black Rod's face to demonstrate the supremacy of the Lower House over the Lords.

He knocks three times with his Black Rod, from which he derives his name, and is finally admitted. Black Rod says: 'Mr Speaker. The Queen commands this Honourable House' - bowing to the left and to the right as he does so - 'to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers.'

This tradition is a reminder of the right of the Commons to exclude everyone but the Sovereign's messengers. The Serjeant-at-Arms, carrying the mace, leads the procession to the Lords followed by the Commons Speaker and Black Rod. The Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition and MPs follow them, and when they reach the Lords chamber they stand at the opposite end to the throne, known as the bar.

The Queen's Speech is delivered to the throne by the Lord Chancellor in a special silk bag. Although the Queen reads the speech, the content is entirely drawn up by the Government and approved by the Cabinet. The final words, 'other measures will be laid before you', give the Government flexibility to introduce other legislation as necessary.

When the Queen leaves, the Royal Standard is taken down and the Union Flag hoisted. In the afternoon Parliament goes back to work, with each house meeting separately to begin debating the content of the speech.


Plan to scrap Human Rights Act is delayed as Cameron ducks early clash with Tory rebels

Scrapping European human rights laws could be delayed for a year while the new Justice Secretary Michael Gove draws up an alternative

Controversial Tory plans to scrap human rights laws have been kicked into the long grass, amid mounting opposition from MPs and peers.

The Conservative manifesto promised to introduce a new 'British Bill of Rights' to curb the power of European judges and stop the abuse of human rights laws by foreign criminals.

But the measure, which is expected to be included in today's Queen's Speech, will not be in the first wave of bills introduce into the Commons.

It means any change in the law could be delayed for a year while the new Justice Secretary Michael Gove attempts to draw up the alternative 'British Bill of Rights'.

Government sources insisted it was more important to get the bill 'right, rather than quickly'.

But the delay will spark concern among Tory backbenchers who have become increasingly alarmed at the number of foreign offenders – including killers, rapists and paedophiles – unable to be deported because of their 'right to a family life' in Britain.

A British Bill of Rights would allow the government to ignore verdicts by judges in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg – giving the UK Supreme Court the final say instead.

It would also curtail foreign criminals' claims that they have a human right not to be deported.

Today's Queen's Speech is expected to say the Government will 'bring forward proposals to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights'.

But there will be no commitment to immediate legislation, which could even slip into the next parliamentary session.

'This is going to happen – we will deliver it – but we are not going to be rushed,' a Government source said.

'This is going to be a large constitutional piece of legislation and it is important we get it right.'

Mr Gove will come forward with proposals for a British Bill of Rights before the end of the year, Government sources said, followed by a consultation before legislation is presented to parliament.

But the Justice Secretary faces opposition in the House of Lords as well as a fierce battle with the human rights lobby.

Senior Conservatives have raised concerns over plans to scrap it, including former attorney general Dominic Grieve and former shadow home secretary David Davis.

With the Tories holding a slender majority in the Commons while being outnumbered in the Lords, pushing such contentious proposals through Parliament poses a significant challenge.


Benefits capped at £23,000 a year, tax credits frozen and housing support scrapped for under 21s

Today's Queen's Speech gave the first indication of how the government plans to save £12billion a year from the welfare budget – as set out in the Conservative manifesto.

In Her Majesty's 'most gracious speech to Parliament' this morning – the first fully Conservative Queen's Speech in almost 20 years – she confirmed the Government would 'continue to reform welfare' with a crackdown on benefit abuse.

A Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill will be brought forward introducing a raft of new measures which aim to slash the annual benefits bill, pushing more people into work.

A Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill will be brought forward introducing a raft of new measures which aim to slash the annual benefits bill, pushing more people into work

Working-age welfare – including tax credits and child benefit – will be frozen for two years from 2016-17. New legislation will also be introduced to lower the benefit cap so the maximum a family can receive in a year will be £23,000 a year – down from £26,000.

However, critics say the reduced cap is still too high. At £23,000, it is the equivalent of a £30,000 a year salary once tax and national insurance has been taken into account.

It means that a family on benefits can still earn more than the average family take home pay in Britain, which stands at just £26,000.

Benefits for under-21s will also be curtailed, with a new 'earn or learn' principle – meaning youngsters will be forced to take a job or go to college after leaving school at 18.

Under 21s will be stopped from claiming housing support and if they have been out of work for six months forced to go on an apprenticeship or start training. If they refuse they will have to do community work to receive their benefits.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of charity Crisis, said: 'The Government’s plan to cut housing benefit for 18-21 year-olds could spell disaster for thousands of young people who cannot live with their parents.

'At an age when other young people are leaving home to travel, work or study, growing numbers could be facing homelessness and the terrifying prospect of roughing it on the streets.'

Today's crackdown comes amid mounting criticism over the government's failure to spell out how it will cut the welfare bill.

The respected Institute of Fiscal Studies said the planned £12billion cuts will either increase poverty or undermine ministers' claims that they will 'make work pay'.

In a paper the respected independent economic institute indicated that the government has yet to name around 90 per cent of its planed welfare cuts.

The IFS says around £10.5billion of the £12billion welfare cuts planned by the Tories are yet to be named, amounting to a remaining 87.5 per cent.

Around 40 per cent of the welfare budget is protected from cuts, including the state pension and universal pensioner benefits. The IFS says the rest of the budget will take a much deeper, 10 per cent cut as a result.


Sweeping new powers for Sturgeon but Scot MPs banned from voting on English-only laws

The Scotland Bill will give Nicola Sturgeon, pictured today, tax raising powers to make Holyrood 'one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world'

The growing divide between England and Scotland was laid bare in today's set piece Parliamentary event.

The Queen announced the Government's plan to introduce a Scotland Bill making Holyrood 'one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world'.

But in return, Scottish MPs will be banned from having the decisive say on laws which only affect England.

In unusually strong language, the Queen's Speech promised to 'end the manifest unfairness' of Scottish MPs voting on English only laws.

It includes the introduction of new laws 'in a way that ensures decisions affecting England can only be taken with the consent of the majority of MPs representing constituencies in England'.

But the Government will also 'honour the commitment made to the Scottish people' before last year's independence referendum to transfer a raft of new powers away from Westminster.

The bill will give the Scottish Parliament 'new powers over taxation (including income tax) and spending'.

'For the first time, more than half the money spent by the Scottish Government would be raised by the Scottish Parliament. It would be responsible for raising around 40 per cent of Scotland's taxes and for deciding around 60 per cent of its public spending'.

The Bill will enable the Scottish Parliament to set the thresholds and rates of income tax in Scotland and keep all the money raised north of the border.

It will also give Scotland half of all VAT it raises and transfer responsibility for raising Air Passenger Duty to Holyrood – potentially giving Edinburgh and Glasgow airports a significant advantage over Manchester and Newcastle.

The Scottish Parliament will also be given extra borrowing powers and new control of welfare. But the Barnett formula – which locks in extra public spending in Scotland – will be retained.


New powers to tag, deport and seize illegal workers' wages in new crackdown on immigration

Home Secretary Theresa May, pictured listening to the Queen's Speech, will take forward laws to to deal with 'those who should not be here'

A fresh crackdown on immigration will make it easier to deport foreign criminals and seize the wages of illegal workers.

The Government said the purpose of the new legislation was to put British families first, stopping foreign workers undercutting wages and using schools and hospitals which they are not entitled to.

Home Secretary Theresa May's bill will be introduced to deal with 'those who should not be here' – by 'rooting out illegal immigrants and boosting removals and deportations'.

Migrants caught working illegally will have their wages confiscated and be kicked out of the country without appeal.

A new criminal offence of 'illegal working' will be created to close a loophole in the law that means illegal immigrants and those who overstay their visas cannot be prosecuted for working.

The authorities will also be able to designate the wages of people working illegally as 'proceeds of crime' that can be seized.

New measures unveiled by the Queen included:

Ordering banks to check accounts against databases of illegal workers, making it easier to detect them
Banks to close accounts held by illegal immigrants
An extension of a 'deport first, appeal later' scheme – currently used only against foreign criminals– to all here illegally. Sources said the move was expected to involve 'thousands' now using the exhaustive appeals system
Satellite tracking for foreign criminals awaiting deportation
Telling Home Office officials to inform firms when employees' visas have expired, so they have no excuse to continue hiring them
Banning recruitment agencies from only advertising jobs abroad

The new immigration bill will also 'crack down on the exploitation of low-skilled workers' lured from abroad 'with the promise of a better life'.

In an unexpected announcement the Government will consult on funding apprenticeships for British workers by implementing a new visa levy on firms using foreign labour.


Snoopers’ charter resurrected and fanatics targeted with sweeping new anti-extremism powers

New laws giving Britain’s intelligence agencies sweeping powers to monitor what people do on the internet were announced today as party of a wider crack down on extremism.

A new bill will allow MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to target the emails of terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals.

The Government insisted the bill - which has been dismissed as a ‘snoopers’ charter’ - only seeks to ‘modernise’ the weapons available to intelligence chiefs to fight extremist threats.


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Police officers keep watch on the roof of Buckingham Palace, as ministers set out new powers to tackle terrorists and extremists

TIME LIMITS ON BAIL AFTER CLAIMS LIVES RUINED BY YEAR-LONG WAIT

Imposing time limits on police bail is among measures in the Queen's Speech.

Pre-charge bail for suspects will be restricted to 28 days with a senior police officer able to authorise an extension of up to three months.

In "exceptional circumstances" police will have to apply to courts to extend bail beyond three months.

The Government said the plans are designed to stop people remaining on bail for months or even years with no independent oversight of the police's investigation.

Earlier this year broadcaster Paul Gambaccini backed a 28-day limit on the use of police bail.

He spent 12 months on bail before he was told he would not be charged over allegations of historic sex abuse.

But in 2013 the same proposals were shelved after opposition from the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats.

The bill is also designed to address ‘capability gaps’ that are ‘severely degrading’ the ability of authorities to combat terrorism and other serious crime, the Government said.

Police have repeatedly said they require new powers to track criminals online, warning that monitoring threats is more difficult in the wake of the Snowden revelations about surveillance operations.

The original law rejected by Mr Clegg last year would have forced internet and mobile phone companies to keep records of what their customers browsed on the web - including what they did on Facebook and Twitter and who they sent and received emails from.

Human rights watchdog Privacy International said the decision to return to the proposals so quickly after the election showed the government’s ‘insatiable appetite’ for boosting the state’s powers of surveillance.

A wider package of measures will be introduced in an Extremism Bill giving the police and government ministers extra powers to target fanatics.

This includes an introduction of banning orders for extremist organisations who use hate speech in public places, but whose activities fall short of proscription.

New Extremism Disruption Orders will be used to restrict people who seek to radicalise young people while there will be powers to close premises where extremists seek to influence others.

The powers of the Charity Commission will be strengthened to root out charities who misappropriate funds towards extremism and terrorism There will be a strengthened role for Ofcom to take action against channels which broadcast extremist content.

The Government also set out plans to provide enhanced protections for children. Subject to consultation, this could involve introducing sanctions for professionals who fail to take action on child abuse where it is their professional responsibility to act.

Other elements of the Policing and Criminal Justice Bill are reducing the use of police cells for those detained under the Mental Health Act and closing a legal loophole so that live-streaming of child sexual abuse online can lead to the same maximum sentence as recorded images - 14 years in prison.

There are also changes to the police complaints system to give a stronger role to police and crime commissioners and strengthen protections for police whistleblowers.

Local people to get veto on new wind farms as ministers end green subsidy for turbines

Local communities will have the final say in bids to build large scale onshore wind farms under plans set out in the Queen's Speech.

The Government is introducing an Energy Bill which will change the law to remove the need for the Energy Secretary to approve large wind farms of more than 50 megawatts (MW), schemes which would typically involve dozens of wind turbines.

The move, along with changes to planning policy, will mean that local authorities will have final say on such projects in England and Wales.

The Tories have also committed to end new subsidies for onshore wind to deliver on a pledge to stop the spread of wind farms in the countryside, claiming the technology often fails to win public support, but measures to deliver on the promise are not included in the Bill and will be set out separately.

Industry body RenewableUK calculates that subsidies for onshore wind, one of the cheapest forms of low-carbon energy, added just GBP10 to the average consumer bill last year.

The Energy Bill also includes measures aimed at increasing energy security and boosting domestic oil and gas production, including giving the Oil and Gas Authority the powers to become a robust, independent regulator and enable it to maximise the economic recovery of oil and gas from UK waters.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of RenewableUK, said: 'Singling out one of the most popular and lowest cost forms of energy technology for different treatment in the planning system sends a worrying message to investors across the energy sector.

'Onshore wind is committed to being a good neighbour to the local communities in which it is hosted, providing substantial economic advantages to the region including the ground-breaking community benefits it pays, so we are confident that local authorities should recognise the value of these projects.

'However, we do hold concerns for the potential for delay of these significant infrastructure projects, so it is very important that local authorities are given full support and resourcing to enable them to make swift decisions.'

Across the UK, 7,134 MW of onshore wind projects with 2,836 turbines are awaiting consent. Some 45 sites of 50MW or above are awaiting the go-ahead, but most of them, 37 schemes, are in Scotland which is not affected by the changes.

There are seven large scale projects in Wales and none in England currently in the planning system, while one scheme is awaiting consent in Northern Ireland, where the changes would also not affect the planning regime.

Onshore wind farms totalling 4,945 turbines across the UK are already in operation, a further 619 turbines are being put up, and projects with

2,895 turbines have consent - although not all of them will necessarily go ahead, according to RenewableUK.

Onshore wind farms cost the consumer GBP10.50 on the average annual bill, or around 20p a week, under the existing subsidies regime, while offshore wind added GBP13.50 to household energy costs last year, and small-scale domestic wind turbines added less than GBP1.

The most recent survey from the Department of Energy and Climate Change found that while onshore wind commanded lower public support than offshore wind, wave and tidal energy and solar power, it was still backed by around two thirds of people (65%).

Friends of the Earth campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: 'Local people should have a greater say over renewable energy projects, which are popular, but it is ironic that this is happening as the Government is doing everything it can to overcome opposition to fracking, which most people oppose. It's pretty clear this is nothing to do with what the public actually wants.

'Wind farms are not for everywhere, but they are a popular and affordable form of energy, providing jobs and investment in rural communities.

'A big risk is that local authorities may not be equipped to deal with the scale and complexities of large wind farm applications, or that they will be hamstrung by new planning restrictions.'