Queen outlines UK government agenda in scaled-down speech

British Prime Minister Theresa May will begin the delicate task of running a minority government on Wednesday by setting out a softer tone on Brexit as Queen Elizabeth formally opens parliament.

“This government will respond with humility and resolve to the message the electorate sent”, she promised.

She is expected to ditch some of the promises in the Conservative manifesto as she would struggle to pass them through a hung parliament after a resurgent performance by Labour in the General Election. Instead, the Conservatives lost seats and May still hasn’t secured a deal with another party to insure Parliament will back the government’s agenda.

House of Common leader Andrea Leadsom said Parliament will need “the maximum amount of time to scrutinize these bills” by holding a two-year session.

The interventions from the opposition parities come as the Prime Minister’s grip on power looks increasing fragile following her failure to make a deal with the DUP allowing her to govern. She’s also faced calls to reach out to other parties.

The last time the Queen’s Speech was similarly pared down was in 1974, when Harold Wilson defeated Ted Heath in another snap election created to give the Conservatives a larger mandate in Westminster.

He said: “Talks are going on but one thing I’m absolutely certain about is the DUP don’t want to see another election and Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street”.

Mrs May said: “This is a government with objective”.

He added: “That means it’s going to be a realistic Queen’s Speech that recognises how some of the more controversial proposals that we had will now be hard to achieve”.

She is already regarded as being on borrowed time after the disastrous election result, kept in place only because the Tories regard the prospect of another leadership contest even more disruptive than sticking with a severely diminished prime minister. Axing the winter fuel allowance for wealthy older people is also unlikely to feature in the speech.

“The main thing will be Brexit, and we now have a two-year session to achieve that”.

The Queen’s Speech traditionally takes place during the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament, which this year was planned for Monday and has since been postponed to Wednesday as the Conservative party stitched up its deal with the Democratic Unionist Party for support of its minority government.

A “confidence and supply” deal with the DUP would prop up May’s party, just taking it over the 326-line to give it a slight working majority. Although the Queen reads the Speech, the content is entirely drawn up by the Government and approved by the Cabinet.

The Queen will arrive at Parliament’s Sovereign’s Entrance and proceed to the Robing Room, where she will put on the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, a red velvet number with a five-meter train.

“Get your skates on, the first race is half past two”, he quipped.