Photo: 
Reuters
The queen’s speech: Cameron’s balancing act

Today in Westminster, in a ceremony full of British parliamentary pomp, Queen Elizabeth II will formally launch the newly elected Conservative government’s legislative agenda. Among the bills to be debated in the coming parliamentary session are several embodying David Cameron’s plan to seize the political centre-ground; the Tories retain a reputation for being out of touch and even downright heartless. The bills include legislation devolving power to provincial cities, capping income tax, boosting apprenticeships and allocating extra resources to health care. But there is red meat for the Conservative base, too: a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, new curbs on immigration and the abolition of human-rights legislation (though reportedly this may be delayed). With a majority of only 12 in the House of Commons, the prime minister has to woo voters without losing his party’s affection. The monarch’s address will encapsulate that balancing act.

May 27th 2015
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