YP Comment: May's troubles just beginning. Will Queen's Speech be passed?

THERESA MAY'S political predicament is such that today's State Opening of Parliament and unveiling of the Queen's Speech '“ 48 hours later than scheduled '“ does in fact represent an achievement in itself. Many did not think the embattled Prime Minister would last this long after her election gamble misfired and she lost her workable Commons majority.
The State Opening of Parliament and Queen's Speech is likely to add to Theresa May's woes.The State Opening of Parliament and Queen's Speech is likely to add to Theresa May's woes.
The State Opening of Parliament and Queen's Speech is likely to add to Theresa May's woes.

Yet, while the Tories are struggling to form a pact with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party whose MPs effectively hold the balance of power, the legislative programme is still likely to be passed on the basis that voters won’t thank any party which chooses to plunge Britain into fresh uncertainty at a time of national tragedy 
and crisis. It’s why a manifesto promise to abolish free school meals will be quietly dropped.

That said, Mrs May’s position is invidious. Her tentative legislative plans will, inevitably, have to revolve around consumer-led policies that are likely to find favour with others – or schemes, like HS2, where a consensus is already in place.

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Yet this will not deter Labour’s emboldened leader Jeremy Corbyn from setting out his alternative plans or Remain-supporting MPs from attempting to form a cross-party commission to effectively lead Britain’s negotiations with the EU over Brexit.

This latter approach is certainly gaining credence after Chancellor Philip Hammond’s open rebuke of his Brexit-supporting colleagues when he called for a greater emphasis to be placed on jobs, and the requirements of business, in the negotiations that began on Monday.

Even though the Prime Minister says she will see Brexit through, not only are the mixed messages bemusing to European leaders who don’t know who they are negotiating with, but the disunity also does not bode well for a Government that will 
need to be the most disciplined ever if it is to survive this process, never mind a five-year Parliamentary term. Far from the Queen’s Speech galvanising the country, it’s only likely to add to Mrs May’s troubles. That cannot be in the best interests of Britain, can it?

Time to welcome youth vote

NEW research into voting patterns on June 8 reveals the extent to which Britain has been left divided. If the outcome rested with older voters, Theresa May would have won by the landslide which she envisaged – despite alienating many OAPs with her ill-conceived ‘dementia tax’. Yet, if it was left to students and younger people, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would now be ensconced in 10 Downing Street because his alternative to austerity did, in fact, resonate.

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It did not require detailed research by polling organisation Ipsos Mori to point out that this divide is now at its greatest since 1979 – it’s been self-evident in the post-election fallout. For, while more mature voters accuse younger people of economic naïvety over Labour policies like the abolition of tuition fees, there are many students who believe their future has been imperilled by older generations voting to leave the European Union exactly a year ago.

However such simplistic arguments miss the most fundamental point of all; namely the fact that there’s been a marked increase in the number of younger people now engaged with the political process for the first time. This ends years of growing apathy which was a betrayal of all those who fought for Britain’s freedom – or those suffragettes who campaigned for women to have the right to vote. Not only does this increased civic engagement place the onus on every political party to come up with credible policy prospectuses that appeal to people of all ages, but they do need to build the broadest possible coalition of voters in order to form a government. Far from the youth vote being dismissed as a passing fad, it should be welcomed – and embraced.

Yorkshire – the new Newmarket

EVEN though the champion miler Ribchester carried Sheikh Mohammed’s colours to Royal Ascot glory in the precipitous Queen Anne Stakes, this was a famous victory made in Yorkshire.

This was the most significant success to date in the career of trainer Richard Fahey who has turned his Malton stables into one of the top Flat yards in the country after starting off with just a handful of horses in 2003. After years of 4.30am starts, he can sleep easy after this Group One success.

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With Ribchester superbly ridden by jockey William Buick, a graduate of Doncaster’s Northern Racing College, this memorable win offers further proof that Flat racing’s balance of power 
is shifting from its home in Newmarket to Yorkshire.