Harman: We will be a reasonable, effective opposition

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Repsonding to the Queen’s Speech this afternoon, which contained 23 new bills and one draft bill, details of which are here, Harriet Harman said:

“We will be an effective opposition. We will not oppose for the sake of it. That’s not what the public wants. But, we will not pull our punches. Though we are in opposition, we will be powerful in the public interest.

“We will be determined to prevent unfairness. We will speak up for the public services that matter. We will be vigilant – protecting jobs and businesses.

“As the government acknowledges, their most important domestic task is the economy. The new government takes over an economy in which recovery is already underway and where government action has blunted the impact of the recession.

“But the recovery cannot be taken for granted. The challenge now for the government is to embed and secure the economic recovery with new manufacturing and an even greater role for the low carbon sector.

“Where the Government takes steps to do that, we will back them. But taking support away from businesses risks slower growth for the future.

“We all agree with cutting waste. What the country needs to know is that the government will do that in a fair way; without damaging frontline services; and without putting future growth at risk.

“And the country will want to see that it is not they who are left bearing the cost of holding the coalition together. Before the election, the leader of the Tory party – now the Prime Minister – was telling us all that the Lib Dems’ promises were simply unaffordable.

“At the very same time the Lib Dem leader, now his deputy, warned that the Tories’ tax and spending promises could only be paid for by increasing VAT or cutting frontline services.

“It’s the combination of the two of them that worries me.”

Harman gave a strong speech, in which she criticsed the coalition’s plan to require 55% majority to dissolve parliament, and added “packing the Lords and rigging the Commons is not new politics.”