Just hours ahead of the Labour Government setting out its priorities in the King’s Speech, the Opposition Conservative Party released an ‘alternative’ list of 16 proposed Bills it would introduce if in office
Torie leader Kemi Badenoch has revealed her alternative King’s Speech list of bills. Withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), trebling stop-and-search operations and restarting fresh drilling in the North Sea feature amongst the measures outlined in the Conservatives’ plans.
With the Labour Government preparing to unveil its agenda in Wednesday’s ceremony, the Opposition has set out legislation designed to “reverse the disastrous decisions Keir Starmer has taken” while also seeking to “rectify the mistakes of previous Conservative governments”.
Party leader Kemi Badenoch declared the document demonstrated her “renewed” Conservative Party, which she has vowed to reconstruct following its most catastrophic general election loss in 2024, “is coming back with a plan to deliver”.
The collection of 16 Bills covering welfare, immigration, crime, energy and defence emerged from 18 months of policy development since losing power, she explained.
Mrs Badenoch has previously issued apologies for “mistakes” committed by the Tory administrations in which she served regarding tax and immigration, including the migration surge under more lenient post-Brexit regulations brought in by Boris Johnson’s government.
To curb migration, her party’s proposals feature draft legislation to scrap the Human Rights Act and enable departure from the ECHR – which it has accused of blocking the removal of individuals with no entitlement to remain in the UK back to their countries of origin.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp declared: “Membership of the ECHR and the Blairite Human Rights Act has protected everyone except the British public. Our borders have been eroded and policing undermined. It is essential for any future government to tackle the lawfare holding our country back if they are to succeed.”
Mr Philp also claimed the proposed Take Back Our Streets Bill “triples stop-and-search, deploys 10,000 additional officers, and rolls out live facial recognition to the worst crime hotspots, restoring the damage Labour have done in just under two years”.
The Conservatives have also vowed to slash legal barriers preventing new oil and gas projects from gaining approval in the UK through their draft Get Britain Drilling Bill.
They have maintained this would tackle the surge in energy costs triggered by the Middle East conflict, though critics have insisted new licences would do nothing to cut bills.
Mrs Badenoch stated: “If you want a country with strong borders, a country that is properly defended, a country that is a great place to start and run a business, and a country in which the law is upheld, this alternative King’s Speech delivers just that.
“We are living through the painful reality of an opposition entering government without a plan. I am not making that same mistake, and this alternative King’s Speech shows the Conservative Party is coming back with a plan to deliver.”
Here is the complete list of the Tories’ proposed Bills:
- Welfare Reform Bill – Back Our High Streets Bill
- Get Britain Working Bill
- Reducing Bureaucracy Bill
- Save British Industry Bill
- Cheap Energy Bill
- Get Britain Drilling Bill
- ECHR (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill
- Human Rights Act (Repeal) Bill
- Protecting Our Borders Bill
- Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship Bill
- Take Back Our Streets Bill
- Sovereign Defence Fund Bill
- Protect Our Veterans Bill
- Restoring School Standards Bill
- Youth Opportunity Bill
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