Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, wrote an article for The Conversation about the contents of Boris Johnson’s Queen’s Speech and its importance.
In the article, Professor Catterall summarised the bills that were put forward in the speech but noted that some were very vague.
Discussing the Immigration Bill, she wrote: “Far from simplifying immigration rules, however, this is likely to make the process more complex and bureaucratic. Like most of the programme in the Queen’s Speech, it looks more like a soundbite than a well-conceived policy.”
She also outlined a variety of other proposals mentioned in the speech, including a “sketchy proposal to require people to present ID when they go to vote.”
She added: “This is an answer to a non-existent problem given that there was only one conviction for electoral fraud in 2017, the year of the last general election.”
She wrote: “Of course, all of these revived bills could swiftly disappear again into legislative limbo if Johnson gets his way and manages to hold the election.
“At present, it seems highly unlikely that this parliament will run its course. If it does, much of the legislation resulting from the Queen’s Speech will probably be shaped substantially by what the opposition parties allow to pass, or choose to amend.”
