Fewer laws, more action

This government has run out of good ideas; that was what the Queen’s speech told us this week. When the coalition was formed, it united behind a genuinely bold agenda: school reform, welfare reform, health reform and deficit elimination. Where has the boldness gone? The coalition’s courage has vanished, as has its sense of purpose and the ability of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to agree on anything sensible. So for the next year, our MPs will be kept busy, not pushing on with important changes, but debating intractable problems like House of Lords reform and long-term care for the elderly.

If there’s not much to be said for what was in the speech, we can at least be grateful for what has been left out — in particular, the High Speed Rail Bill. Even if legislation is introduced next year, it’s unlikely that this complex hybrid bill will be passed in time for the election.