Queen's speech

The state opening of parliament is a traditional affair in the UK, at which Queen Elizabeth II sets out the policies her government will implement over the coming term.

It was the monarch's 57th Queen's Speech, but her first announcing a policy programme formulated by a coalition government.

The legislative programme of the center-right Conservative and centrist Liberal Democrat coalition vowed to "roll back the power of the state", restore civil liberties and reform parliament and the voting system.

However, the queen announced her government's "first priority" would be to tackle the massive public sector deficit of an estimated 156 billion pounds (182 billion euros, $223 billion).

Pomp and circumstance

As the queen is Britain's head of state, she has the formal power of inviting a prime minister to form a government and of opening each session of parliament. The ceremony is a traditional one, where Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in full royal regalia, addresses her government and subjects.

In the speech written for her by the new Prime Minister David Cameron, the queen announced the most important issue was "to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth."

The speech came the day after the British government revealed plans to cut 6.25 billion pounds of public spending. The next step is an emergency budget on June 22 which pledges to reduce public borrowing.

Legislation to reform the framework for financial services regulation is to be introduced and a levy on banks is to be considered.

New government plans

The Prime Minister said the Queen's Speech was a "radical program for a radical government."

Areas of focus for the new government also include proposals for changing the British electoral system and changing the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords, into a "wholly or mainly elected" chamber. The government also wishes to introduce five year fixed-term parliaments.

The queen also confirmed the new government's plans to limit the number of non-EU nationals entering Britain and to end the detention of children in immigration holding centers.

A multi-billion-pound scheme to introduce ID cards in Britain will be scrapped, and the widespread use of surveillance cameras is to be more closely regulated.

cb/Reuters/AFP/dpa
Editor: Susan Houlton