:00:19. > :00:21.Hello and welcome to the programme in the week the Queen
:00:22. > :00:24.came to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament,
:00:25. > :00:27.and set out the Government's plans for the next two years -
:00:28. > :00:33.My Government will seek to maintain a deep and special
:00:34. > :00:36.partnership with European allies, and to forge new trading
:00:37. > :00:44.Theresa May sets out what action the Government's taking
:00:45. > :00:50.But reveals other high rise blocks could be at risk.
:00:51. > :00:56.Mr Speaker, shortly before I came to the Chamber,
:00:57. > :00:58.I was informed that a number of these tests have come
:00:59. > :01:04.And all MPs start their life in Parliament by taking an oath
:01:05. > :01:07.of allegiance to the monarch, but is it time for a change?
:01:08. > :01:11.I think the Queen is a wonderful woman and does great work, but I'm
:01:12. > :01:13.here to represent the people and that wasn't an option.
:01:14. > :01:17.It's been a dramatic couple of weeks since we were last here,
:01:18. > :01:19.with an election result that few predicted and Theresa May
:01:20. > :01:22.returned to power - just - with her party now the largest
:01:23. > :01:26.Cue recriminations among the Conservatives and jubilation
:01:27. > :01:29.in Labour's ranks, after a better than expected
:01:30. > :01:37.With a deal between Theresa May and the Democratic Unionists
:01:38. > :01:40.still up in the air, and with the clock ticking
:01:41. > :01:43.on Brexit, it was time for the State Opening of Parliament.
:01:44. > :01:45.Because no-one was expecting a general election at the start
:01:46. > :01:48.of June, there was no time to prepare for the traditional pomp
:01:49. > :01:56.and ceremony with coaches, horses and mass ranks of guardsmen.
:01:57. > :01:59.So, it was a very scaled back procession that set off
:02:00. > :02:03.with the Queen travelling by car to Westminster accompanied
:02:04. > :02:07.There was no Duke of Einburgh either -
:02:08. > :02:10.When the Queen, without her ceremonial robes,
:02:11. > :02:15.and Prince Charles arrived, they processed through the Lords
:02:16. > :02:19.gallery walking behind the imperial state crown and took their seats
:02:20. > :02:23.on the thrones in the House of Lords.
:02:24. > :02:26.And then it was time to despatch Black Rod to the House of Commons
:02:27. > :02:32.And with that MPs left the Commons, processing out of their Chamber,
:02:33. > :02:37.through central lobby and on into the House of Lords.
:02:38. > :02:39.Normally, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition
:02:40. > :02:41.exchange pleasantries, but there was little chit
:02:42. > :02:44.chat between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.
:02:45. > :02:49.And when MPs had arrived at the bar at the back of the Lords,
:02:50. > :02:51.the Queen read out the contents of the speech -
:02:52. > :02:53.the 64th time she'd performed the role.
:02:54. > :02:59.Beginning with the Government's plans for Brexit.
:03:00. > :03:02.My Government's priority is to secure the best possible deal
:03:03. > :03:06.as the country leaves the European Union.
:03:07. > :03:08.Establishing new national policies on immigration, international
:03:09. > :03:11.sanctions, nuclear safeguards, agriculture, and fisheries.
:03:12. > :03:21.There was no word on grammar schools, but instead...
:03:22. > :03:22.My Government will continue to work to
:03:23. > :03:25.ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend a good
:03:26. > :03:28.school, and that all schools are fairly funded.
:03:29. > :03:30.And as to the Conservatives controversial manifesto
:03:31. > :03:36.My ministers will work to improve the social care and will
:03:37. > :03:40.bring forward proposals for consultation.
:03:41. > :03:45.There'd be a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower block fire.
:03:46. > :03:48.There will be a full public enquiry into the tragic
:03:49. > :03:49.events at the Grenfell Tower, to ascertain
:03:50. > :03:50.the causes and ensure that
:03:51. > :03:55.To support victims, my Government will take forward measures to
:03:56. > :03:58.introduce an independent public advocate, who will Act for believed
:03:59. > :04:09.In the light of the terrorist attacks
:04:10. > :04:11.in Manchester and London, my Government's counterterrorism
:04:12. > :04:13.strategy will be reviewed, to insure that the police and security
:04:14. > :04:20.services have all the powers they need.
:04:21. > :04:22.And that the length of custodial sentences for terrorism
:04:23. > :04:30.related offences are sufficient to keep the population safe.
:04:31. > :04:33.So, a nine minute speech, stripped of many of the controversial ideas
:04:34. > :04:39.With the day's ceremony over, it was the turn of MPs to discuss
:04:40. > :04:44.After a minute's silence to remember those who had been killed
:04:45. > :04:47.and injured in the recent terror attacks and in the Grenfell Tower
:04:48. > :04:50.to give Labour's response to the speech.
:04:51. > :04:59.He began by reflecting on the Grenfell disaster.
:05:00. > :05:05.The fire at Grenfell Tower in west London has killed at least 79
:05:06. > :05:12.people. What makes it both a tragedy and an outrage is that every single
:05:13. > :05:12.one of those deaths could have been avoided.
:05:13. > :05:14.Turning to the speech itself, he argued
:05:15. > :05:22.A threadbare legislative programme from a Government that has lost its
:05:23. > :05:31.majority and apparently run out of ideas altogether. This would be a
:05:32. > :05:36.sin legislative programme, even if it was for one year, but for two
:05:37. > :05:37.years? Two years? There is not enough in it to fill year.
:05:38. > :05:40.He turned to what was not in the speech,
:05:41. > :05:44.including means testing the Winter Fuel Payment.
:05:45. > :05:52.And older people and their families might also be keen for some clarity
:05:53. > :05:56.around the Government's policy on social care. Whether it is still
:05:57. > :06:00.what was originally set out in the Conservative manifesto or whether it
:06:01. > :06:02.is what was later amended to, or whether it is no something else
:06:03. > :06:11.entirely. We need full access to the single
:06:12. > :06:15.market and the customs arrangements that provide Britain has the Brexit
:06:16. > :06:21.secretary has pledged, and I quote, with the exact same benefits as now,
:06:22. > :06:23.neither must our victory targets for immigration be prioritised over the
:06:24. > :06:25.jobs and living standards of the people of this country.
:06:26. > :06:27.Theresa May also began her speech by talking about
:06:28. > :06:37.One Lady I had met ran from the fire wearing no more than a T-shirt and a
:06:38. > :06:41.pair of knickers. She had lost absolutely everything. Let me be
:06:42. > :06:45.absolutely clear, the support on the ground for families in the initial
:06:46. > :06:49.hours was not enough. People were left without belongings, without
:06:50. > :06:53.roots over their heads, without even basic information about what had
:06:54. > :06:58.happened, what they should do, and where they could seek help. That was
:06:59. > :07:03.a failure of the state, local and national, to help people when they
:07:04. > :07:04.needed it most. As Prime Minister, I apologise for that failure.
:07:05. > :07:16.Our country is divided, red versus blue, young versus old, leave versus
:07:17. > :07:19.remain. As I said here last week, the test for all of us is whether we
:07:20. > :07:24.choose to reflect divisions or help the country overcome them. With
:07:25. > :07:26.humility and resolve, this Government will seek to do the
:07:27. > :07:26.latter. She concluded that recent weeks,
:07:27. > :07:35.and the terror attacks, The Queen 's speech on its own but
:07:36. > :07:45.not solve every challenge our contributors.
:07:46. > :07:52.THEY SPEAK OVER EACH OTHER Not every problem can be solved by
:07:53. > :07:57.an Act of Parliament. But it is... But it is a step forward. It is a
:07:58. > :08:02.step forward to building a more compassionate, you more united and
:08:03. > :08:05.more confident nation. That is what this Government will aim to achieve,
:08:06. > :08:08.it is what this Queen 's speech will deliver and I commend the Queen's
:08:09. > :08:10.speech to the house. CHEERING
:08:11. > :08:13.After that, it was over to other party leaders and backbenchers
:08:14. > :08:16.to have their say on the contents of the speech, with many
:08:17. > :08:21.The Prime Minister's gamble backfired, and she has desperately
:08:22. > :08:24.clung to power, at least for now, and stumbled into the Brexit
:08:25. > :08:35.Regardless with an almost all-male team, equipped with no credible
:08:36. > :08:37.plan, no mandate, and seemingly no functional Government.
:08:38. > :08:39.Well, I can see the Prime Minister floundering,
:08:40. > :08:42.but where is the stable Government that the Prime Minister promised us?
:08:43. > :08:49.We don't really know quite what the basis is upon which
:08:50. > :08:51.we are negotiating this Brexit at the moment.
:08:52. > :08:54.I think it's going to have to be carried by what I think
:08:55. > :08:57.is an extremely sensible cross-party majority that this House could
:08:58. > :09:00.easily command if we were able to put in place some processes with
:09:01. > :09:05.The Prime Minister has proceeded and continued
:09:06. > :09:06.to pursue, it's very clear from recent
:09:07. > :09:08.statements and from the gracious speech,
:09:09. > :09:09.that she seeks to precede an
:09:10. > :09:11.extreme version of Brexit, having failed to gain
:09:12. > :09:17.There is no plan to keep Britain in the single market, has the Right
:09:18. > :09:18.Honourable Member for Rushcliffe mentioned
:09:19. > :09:20.earlier, or indeed for the
:09:21. > :09:33.We will therefore seeks to amend the Queen's Speech
:09:34. > :09:36.to add in membership of the single market and of the customs union.
:09:37. > :09:40.Both the Remain and Leave campaigns agreed we did not stay in the single
:09:41. > :09:42.market and Customs union for a variety of good reasons.
:09:43. > :09:44.One, we want to do free trade agreements
:09:45. > :09:45.with other countries around the world.
:09:46. > :09:48.And you can't do it if you're in the single market and
:09:49. > :09:52.Two, they made it very clear you'd have to pay budget
:09:53. > :09:53.contributions and accept freedom of movement,
:09:54. > :09:58.So, it's one of the few things the two campaigns agreed
:09:59. > :10:01.We all told the British public we would be leaving the
:10:02. > :10:06.We again will work with Government in the course of the next period in
:10:07. > :10:09.this Parliament to ensure that we do deliver prosperity, we do deliver
:10:10. > :10:12.greater spending on health, and education, and that we do see an end
:10:13. > :10:18.to the tunnel, the dark tunnel, of austerity.
:10:19. > :10:22.This Queen's Speech does not herald any hope for my constituents.
:10:23. > :10:25.This Government and the preceding Government have
:10:26. > :10:28.knocked out those rungs of the ladder of opportunity for so many of
:10:29. > :10:34.That reach for the first rung is now very high.
:10:35. > :10:37.A new MP used the first day of the debate
:10:38. > :10:44.Many of my constituents work in financial services.
:10:45. > :10:45.Other key 21st-century sectors, like medical
:10:46. > :10:48.innovation, the tech centre and advanced manufacturing also
:10:49. > :10:51.prioritise access to the single market, and such access must be
:10:52. > :10:59.underpinned by the principles of mutual recognition, based on trust
:11:00. > :11:01.Vicky Ford, making her maiden speech.
:11:02. > :11:04.And I'm delighted to save Vicky Ford and Chris Williamson,
:11:05. > :11:11.who was an MP until 2015 and has just been re-elected, join me now.
:11:12. > :11:15.You've already been keen, you're first out of the blocks,
:11:16. > :11:19.Your background is as a member of the European Parliament.
:11:20. > :11:20.Do you think that gave you an advantage?
:11:21. > :11:23.Well, I see, as a former member of the European Parliament,
:11:24. > :11:29.that we've got a huge amount of work to do over the next two years.
:11:30. > :11:31.Actually, the negotiations were Brexit, we don't
:11:32. > :11:34.control the timescale, we've got 27 other countries we need
:11:35. > :11:37.to get agreement with and we've got to get on with that process,
:11:38. > :11:42.so I was quite keen to, um, get started myself.
:11:43. > :11:45.It's a bit like standing on top of a diving board
:11:46. > :11:51.and looking down and thinking, at some point I've got
:11:52. > :11:54.to make my first speech, so why not try and do it straightaway?
:11:55. > :11:56.Chris Williamson, a very different experience for you,
:11:57. > :11:58.because you were in Parliament before, until 2015.
:11:59. > :12:01.What do you think that two years away from Westminster taught you?
:12:02. > :12:04.What did you learn from being away and what did you learn
:12:05. > :12:08.It was a very bitter pill to swallow, I have to say.
:12:09. > :12:12.I'm a local lad and it was a great privilege to represent my home city.
:12:13. > :12:15.I suppose it taught me that, you know, you can never take
:12:16. > :12:17.anything for granted, even though you are a sort of
:12:18. > :12:19.local individual in that sense, and you always
:12:20. > :12:24.are subject to the vagaries of the democratic process.
:12:25. > :12:26.But I think having gone through that experience,
:12:27. > :12:30.They say what doesn't kill you does make you stronger.
:12:31. > :12:33.So hopefully I will be a better representative this time.
:12:34. > :12:37.Vicky, you have already mentioned Brexit, obviously it was the big
:12:38. > :12:42.It seems that the position on Brexit is being played out very publicly
:12:43. > :12:47.What do you think your former colleagues in Europe make
:12:48. > :12:52.Well, if you look back at the White Paper which came out
:12:53. > :12:54.before the election, we were very clear about wanting
:12:55. > :12:55.to have a long-term strategic partnership...
:12:56. > :12:58.But do they look at Britain at the moment and think,
:12:59. > :13:03.Actually, no, because I had meetings with a lot of them
:13:04. > :13:06.before the election, and have continued to talk since.
:13:07. > :13:08.They want to find an orderly process.
:13:09. > :13:14.But they know it is in the interests of their economy as well as our
:13:15. > :13:19.It is incredibly important that we get together,
:13:20. > :13:23.we get focused, if the Labour Party is serious about wanting to keep
:13:24. > :13:28.the access to the market as well, then we need to work together.
:13:29. > :13:31.All right, Chris Williamson, let's bring you in here, then.
:13:32. > :13:35.Are you going to disrupt or try to defeat the Government
:13:36. > :13:38.at every single turn in the next few years?
:13:39. > :13:41.Well, we have said that we want to make sure that the Brexit process
:13:42. > :13:49.We don't want to see Britain turn into a deregulated
:13:50. > :14:11.No good having a situation where we end up with a Brexit which is going
:14:12. > :14:16.to enrich millionaires still further. We need to make sure we are
:14:17. > :14:19.collaborating to create decent jobs. That is Kanpur the unreasonable. The
:14:20. > :14:23.Conservative Party and the Government want to make sure this
:14:24. > :14:26.process works for ordinary people, for everybody and that is why we
:14:27. > :14:30.need to get working together and stop this rhetoric that somehow you
:14:31. > :14:35.are saying we are not focused on making it work. Why can't you sign
:14:36. > :14:39.up to that, just say, we've got to get this done, let's work together
:14:40. > :14:43.and get this done and not just vote down everything that comes our way?
:14:44. > :14:48.If only life were that simple. I hope Vicky's view prevails in the
:14:49. > :14:52.Conservative Party because they are clearly written on the issue of
:14:53. > :14:55.Europe. But one just has to look at the Conservative record where they
:14:56. > :14:59.have sought to deregulate the labour market, they have brought in the
:15:00. > :15:02.Trade Union Act, we have seen rights of workers being diminished, living
:15:03. > :15:18.standards deteriorating for lots of ordinary people.
:15:19. > :15:24.But how does holding up the Parliamentary process achieve that?
:15:25. > :15:30.Surely just achieves nothing, everything stops. But all is very
:15:31. > :15:32.firmly in the Government's court. We want to make sure this Brexit
:15:33. > :15:36.process works for ordinary people and of the government signs up to
:15:37. > :15:41.that, there will not be a problem. Stop scaremongering. The
:15:42. > :15:44.Conservative Party have published a plan for Brexit, but does work for
:15:45. > :15:49.all the issues that you have mentioned, but does keep workers'
:15:50. > :15:53.rights, keeps consumers' rights, that will keep parts of our fire
:15:54. > :15:57.safety that are governed by European law. That has been published and set
:15:58. > :16:02.out by the Conservative Party and in the meantime, I have seen no detail
:16:03. > :16:06.from Labour. Just reply to that. It is unfair to say we are
:16:07. > :16:11.scaremongering. We have seen the Tories' record, we know where they
:16:12. > :16:15.are coming from in terms of workers' rights, they have sought to support
:16:16. > :16:18.corporations and wealthy and powerful individuals at the expense
:16:19. > :16:22.of ordinary people. That has been their record. People only have to
:16:23. > :16:26.look at the wrecker to see that. If they have had a Damascene
:16:27. > :16:31.conversion, and delighted by that, we are more than happy to cooperate
:16:32. > :16:35.to ensure the Brexit process works for ordinary people in this country.
:16:36. > :16:37.Chris Williamson, Vicky Ford, thank you both very much indeed
:16:38. > :16:42.As we saw earlier in the programme, both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn
:16:43. > :16:44.used the opportunity of the Queen's Speech to reflect
:16:45. > :16:47.At least 79 people are believed to have died,
:16:48. > :16:50.with hundreds more made homeless, having lost everything in the blaze.
:16:51. > :16:52.Attention has focused on the cladding on the outside of
:16:53. > :16:59.On Thursday, Theresa May returned to the Commons to update MPs.
:17:00. > :17:01.The House should of course be careful on speculating
:17:02. > :17:06.But as a precaution, the Government has arranged to test cladding
:17:07. > :17:11.Mr Speaker, shortly before I came to the chamber,
:17:12. > :17:14.I was informed that a number of these tests have come
:17:15. > :17:19.The relevant local authorities and local Fire Services have been
:17:20. > :17:23.informed and as I speak, they are taking all possible steps
:17:24. > :17:28.to ensure buildings are safe and to inform affected residents.
:17:29. > :17:30.Mrs May repeated that the Government response to the disaster
:17:31. > :17:35.Now, though, help was available, from health care to
:17:36. > :17:40.replacement driving licences and emergency funds.
:17:41. > :17:42.It is absolutely essential, Mr Speaker, that people
:17:43. > :17:45.understand they can keep the money they receive.
:17:46. > :17:48.These grants are not loans and they will not be expected
:17:49. > :18:00.I would like to reassure people that we will not use this tragic incident
:18:01. > :18:05.as a reason to carry out immigration checks on those involved or on those
:18:06. > :18:06.providing vital information to identify victims or those assisting
:18:07. > :18:09.with the criminal investigation. It is both a tragedy and an outrage,
:18:10. > :18:14.because every single one of those deaths could and should
:18:15. > :18:17.have been avoided. The Grenfell Tower residents
:18:18. > :18:20.themselves have raised concerns about the lack of fire safety
:18:21. > :18:24.in the block. The Grenfell Action Group have
:18:25. > :18:27.warned, and I quote, it is a truly terrifying thought,
:18:28. > :18:32.but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believes that only a catastrophic
:18:33. > :18:37.event will expose the ineptitude the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant
:18:38. > :18:45.Management Organisation. The local MP said she spoke
:18:46. > :18:48.on behalf of a traumatised and frightened community
:18:49. > :18:50.with little trust in authority. She called for cuts in fire
:18:51. > :18:55.services to be reversed. "These people have quite
:18:56. > :18:59.literally our lives in their hands." when brand-new properties
:19:00. > :19:08.are empty for many years, does the Prime Minister think
:19:09. > :19:10.it is right to discuss with her honourable friend
:19:11. > :19:12.the Chancellor of the Exchequer changing the taxation regime so that
:19:13. > :19:15.as in New York City, My wife, principally, and I,
:19:16. > :19:19.mentored, employed and encouraged a young woman called Khadija Saye,
:19:20. > :19:35.who lost her life with her mother She has talked about the public
:19:36. > :19:40.enquiry. But she understands that most people see this as a crime, and
:19:41. > :19:47.they know that rich and powerful organisations get away with crime.
:19:48. > :19:50.The response to the string of recent terror attacks is to be examined
:19:51. > :19:52.of terrorism legislation, David Anderson.
:19:53. > :19:55.The recent attacks in London and Manchester have claimed
:19:56. > :19:59.There was outrage after an attack on an Ariana Grande concert
:20:00. > :20:02.in Manchester at the end of May, which happened as thousands
:20:03. > :20:05.of youngsters were streaming out of the venue.
:20:06. > :20:08.The suicide bomber blew himself up by detonating a device in the foyer
:20:09. > :20:14.The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, told MPs Mr Anderson would be
:20:15. > :20:17.reviewing the Government's counterterrorism strategy,
:20:18. > :20:20.to make sure the police and the security services had
:20:21. > :20:26.We must do more to defeat ideologies of hatred,
:20:27. > :20:28.by turning people's minds away from violence and towards
:20:29. > :20:35.We must make sure that these ideologies are not able
:20:36. > :20:39.It also means asking difficult questions about what has gone wrong.
:20:40. > :20:42.In light of the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester,
:20:43. > :20:44.Britain's counterterrorism strategy will be reviewed, to make sure
:20:45. > :20:46.that the police and the security services have what they need
:20:47. > :20:52.In addition to this, there will be a review
:20:53. > :20:54.of the handling of recent terror attacks, to look at whether lessons
:20:55. > :21:00.I'm pleased to announce that David Anderson,
:21:01. > :21:03.former independent reviewer of counterterrorism legislation,
:21:04. > :21:10.I noted the actions the Government has taken in the Home Secretary's
:21:11. > :21:14.statement, and largely on this side of the House, we support them.
:21:15. > :21:20.But we would warn against an emphasis on more legislation,
:21:21. > :21:25.rather than looking at the issue of resources.
:21:26. > :21:28.We will look at all the legislative proposals that the Government brings
:21:29. > :21:33.forward on their merits, but we believe that resources
:21:34. > :21:49.is at the heart of this, not just new legislation.
:21:50. > :21:51.Will the Home Secretary confirm that there is absolutely nothing
:21:52. > :21:53.in the Human Rights Act, or the European Convention
:21:54. > :21:56.on Human Rights, that would prevent us taking a robust approach
:21:57. > :21:58.to terrorism, and therefore will she confirm that there are
:21:59. > :22:01.no plans to tear up human rights, and that we can tackle terrorism
:22:02. > :22:03.and uphold the standards of this society without
:22:04. > :22:07.A point Ms Rudd did not answer directly, saying simply
:22:08. > :22:09.that the Government would provide the resources necessary
:22:10. > :22:12.Now, back to the Queen's Speech, which was also being
:22:13. > :22:15.The first speaker was a seasoned Conservative
:22:16. > :22:18.It looked like a good election for Labour.
:22:19. > :22:20.Indeed, they are behaving as if they had won it,
:22:21. > :22:22.despite being 56 seats behind the Tories.
:22:23. > :22:24.And the new rapturous enthusiasm on the benches opposite
:22:25. > :22:27.for Jeremy Corbyn is only matched by their relief that he is not
:22:28. > :22:38.I suspect there are a number of issues on which a
:22:39. > :22:40.Conservative-DUP Government might not find all the MPs
:22:41. > :22:45.of their respective parties in total agreement.
:22:46. > :22:49.So, my lords, and I want to be very clear on this, should the House
:22:50. > :22:51.of Commons send this House legislation that has been amended
:22:52. > :22:53.from the Government's original intentions,
:22:54. > :22:55.then ministers should not seek to use your lordships' House
:22:56. > :23:03.to thwart the mandate of a democratically elected House.
:23:04. > :23:06.What makes this such an exceptional time is that for perhaps only
:23:07. > :23:09.the second or third time in a couple of centuries, we find ourselves
:23:10. > :23:13.needing, as we come to Brexit, to redefine our whole approach
:23:14. > :23:19.to foreign policy, and what our place should be in the world.
:23:20. > :23:24.Trade deals, customs unions, people markets,
:23:25. > :23:25.financial passports, all are without use
:23:26. > :23:28.unless they are seen as a means to serve individuals,
:23:29. > :23:36.Finally, is it time to rewrite the traditional oaths
:23:37. > :23:39.and affirmations made by MPs at the start of a new Parliament?
:23:40. > :23:42.Every member has to pledge their allegiance to the Queen,
:23:43. > :23:48.but this year, some have proved keen to customise their contributions.
:23:49. > :23:52.As a republican by conviction, and under protest, I swear
:23:53. > :23:57.by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance
:23:58. > :24:00.to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors,
:24:01. > :24:07.I, Richard Burgon, was elected by the people of Leeds East
:24:08. > :24:11.to represent the interests of the people of Leeds East,
:24:12. > :24:13.and therefore I make the following affirmation in order
:24:14. > :24:19.I, Laura Pidcock, was elected by the people of North West Durham
:24:20. > :24:25.I therefore take this affirmation in order to do that.
:24:26. > :24:29.Layla Moran is the new Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon.
:24:30. > :24:32.I was surprised that I didn't have the option of pledging
:24:33. > :24:35.loyalty to the people, given that I've spent the last
:24:36. > :24:37.eight years, you know, campaigning to try and be an MP,
:24:38. > :24:41.to help raise the concerns of the people, then when you get
:24:42. > :24:44.to the point when you are swearing allegiance, you have the choice
:24:45. > :24:49.Now, I don't have an issue with either, in fact I'm
:24:50. > :24:52.a Greek Orthodox in my background, I think the Queen is a wonderful
:24:53. > :24:55.woman and does great work, but I'm here to represent
:24:56. > :24:58.the people, and that wasn't an option.
:24:59. > :25:02.I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm...
:25:03. > :25:05.As a new MP, it's quite hard to know which rules you can bend
:25:06. > :25:09.So, I think perhaps in future years, I will be able
:25:10. > :25:13.You're quite concerned about getting it right or wrong at this point,
:25:14. > :25:18.And nonetheless, I mean, while it is broadly ceremonial,
:25:19. > :25:22.what you're doing, the proof of the pudding is in the eating,
:25:23. > :25:25.it's what I do while I'm here that matters, not who I've pledged
:25:26. > :25:31.The new MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran,
:25:32. > :25:36.bringing us to the end of this edition of the programme.
:25:37. > :25:43.Do join Joanna Shin on Monday night at 11 for another full round-up
:25:44. > :25:48.But for now, from me, Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.