Queen's Speech: The Government's three most controversial new laws

Including one change that could prove very unpopular in the Tories' own heartlands

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the House of Lords (WPA Pool/Getty)

The Government has revealed its plans for a range of new laws in the Queen's Speech. Here are the three most controversial.

Bill of Rights

There were no details given today of the Tory plan to scrap the Human Rights Act and replace it with a new Bill of Rights – apart from the fact that it will happen. And that very fact makes it controversial.

Interesting the bill is likely to be attacked both from the right and the left. One of the few things we do know about the Bill is that the Government has backed down on plans to pull out of European Convention on Human Rights.

That will infuriate the Tory right. But equally many on the left will be deeply concerned at any attempt to water down Labour’s Human Rights Act.

This is a bill that is likely to have few friends – and given the Government has such a small majority its chances of passing into law in any meaningful sense is likely to be slim.

Counter-Extremism Bill

Again we have few details of what will be in the bill – but it will include new civil powers to allow authorities to ban so-called ‘extremist preachers’ and intervene in Madrassas and other places where children are taught.

It will also include undisclosed new powers to come out of Louise Casey’s review of Muslim integration in British society. One thing is certain though - the Bill will be controversial because it will have to involve the curtailment of liberty in the name of cracking down on extremism.

Planning Bill

One of the Government’s top priorities is house building and this is yet another effort to speed up the planning process to help this along.

But while most people are in favour of more house building they just don’t want it done in their local area. And the measures in the bill designed to make it more difficult for local residents to prevent planning permission for developments they object to could prove very controversial in the Tory shires.