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Blair dismisses 'rag-bag ideas to save Tories' :the queen's speech

Stephen Goodwin Parliamentary Correspondent
Thursday 16 November 1995 00:02 GMT
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STEPHEN GOODWIN

Parliamentary Correspondent

Tony Blair dismissed the Queen's Speech as a "pathetic mouse", a rag- bag of right-wing ideas designed only to secure the survival of the Conservative Party.

In a testy response, John Major accused the Labour leader of "a remarkable, chameleon-like ability to change political colour, depending on the audience" and commended the "commonsense" policies of the speech.

"Our legislative programme is the right programme for this country. It will also be a litmus test for the Opposition," the Prime Minister said.

Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrat leader, said it was programme of "fag-end measures from a fag-end Government". The real event that mattered would be the Budget in two weeks' time. "This Government has nothing further to say to the nation, except 'please vote for us because we are going to give you tax cuts'."

Beginning the parliamentary session with fiercely combative performances, the party leaders effectively ignored a warning from Douglas Hurd that what worried the public most about the Commons was "the sense of empty noise and phoney war".

For people outside Parliament the big themes of education, the economy and Europe were more than just playing fields for two or three teams of politicians, said the former Foreign Secretary as he made the traditional backbench opening to the Queen's Speech debate.

"There is a real danger that, egged on by the media, all parties in this House may play out the old play, not realising that beyond the footlights half the audience has crept away and the other half is sitting there in mounting irritation."

Mr Blair played the political game to his advantage and the Tories' discomfort when it became apparent Government whips had instructed backbenchers to barrack him but not to try and intervene. "What a pathetic bunch they are," the Labour leader taunted. "To think that these people can keep themselves in government for another 18 months is a tragedy for this country."

Opening on the common ground of Northern Ireland, Mr Blair promised continued support for the Government so long as Labour believed ministers were acting in good faith in the search for peace.

But he found the rest of the Queen's Speech "utterly irrelevant" to the interests of Britain. "It is all about the interests of the Tory party, cobbling together any old bric-a-brac of legislation that can keep the Conservative Party in one piece." The only way this could be done was by "appeasing" the right, he said.

He pointed out the curiosity of Tuesday's press briefing on the speech given by Brian Mawhinney, chairman of the Conservative Party, rather than by the Leader of the House, as was traditional, or a minister.

Mr Mawhinney had "given the game away" by claiming the purpose of the Queen's Speech was to smoke out Labour. "Not to provide new energy or ideas or vitality for Britain, but to smoke out the Opposition. Not to help the people of Britain but to play a game in the run up to the election," Mr Blair said.

The speech made no real recognition of the state of Britain - 35th in the world in education standards and down from 13 to 18 in the economic league. Yet the Government had benefited by pounds 120bn from North Sea oil and pounds 80bn from privatisation.

Turning to the Asylum and Immigration Bill, Mr Blair said Labour opposed bogus applications and fraud and recognised the need for immigration controls. But to Tory protests he said race should not be "the plaything of party politics". He called for the Bill to go before a Commons special committee for "a consensual exercise in getting at the truth".

But the Prime Minister said he was not attracted to the idea of a special committee - which would be able to hear witnesses and take evidence. The only party playing the race card was Labour, he said. "Britain has always opened its doors to those who are in genuine need of asylum but our current system of asylum has been abused." This year 40,000 claims for asylum would be made, he said.

Mr Major promised free votes on matters of conscience in the Bill on divorce and domestic violence and announced he would be asking the European Union to help Caribbean states stem the flow of drugs from Latin America.

In repeated personal attacks, he mocked Mr Blair's use of "cheap soundbites" yet went on to hammer away with the Tories own favourite soundbite of Labour as "unfit to govern".

The Labour leader's speech was "humbug at its very worst", Mr Major said. "It was what we have come to expect from him - cheap soundbites and no indication of his real policy substance, if he has any at all."

He said the Budget would show the Government's determination to turn Britain into the "enterprise centre of Europe". It would be consistent with sound public finance and a resolve to move further towards a more enterprising economy.

"We have brought public spending under control. We will reduce it further," he said. "And when prudent, we will cut taxes on companies and on individuals."

John Redwood, the unsuccessful Tory leadership challenger, reiterated his call for pounds 5bn tax cuts and criticised the Government on law and order. "Too many criminals are getting away without being detected, too many criminals seem to be able to get through a trial when the evidence looks quite strong against them," he said. Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, had to look again at the balance.

"People are worried about the security of their jobs, and their homes and their families," Mr Redwood said. "It is those issues which this Queen's Speech followed by the Budget must tackle and must be seen to be tackling."

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