2014

:00:13. > :00:22.It is half past ten at Westminster. Stand by for a unique blend of

:00:23. > :00:25.pageantry and politics, as we bring you a full coverage of the State

:00:26. > :00:27.Opening of Parliament. It is the last Queen's Speech before the

:00:28. > :01:03.general election. Good morning. Not long to go before

:01:04. > :01:08.the Queen arrives here at the Palace of Westminster, in that traditional

:01:09. > :01:13.carriage procession. It is the start of a new session at parliament, but

:01:14. > :01:17.the general election, as we know, is just 11 months away, so there is

:01:18. > :01:20.hardly time to start any ambitious new programme of legislation. Having

:01:21. > :01:24.said that, there are some interesting items in the programme

:01:25. > :01:30.today, and we will talking about those. Also we will be putting

:01:31. > :01:36.things in a wider political context following the European elections and

:01:37. > :01:39.the rise of UKIP. So, plenty for David Cameron to think about. He

:01:40. > :01:42.the rise of UKIP. So, plenty for left number 10 Downing Street just

:01:43. > :01:45.about half an hour ago, on his way to the

:01:46. > :01:47.about half an hour ago, on his way the coalition's programme of

:01:48. > :01:55.government which is being announced today. Nick Clegg also left within

:01:56. > :02:00.the last 45 minutes or so, on his way to Parliament. We have had some

:02:01. > :02:08.words from Ed Miliband of Labour already. We heard that the election

:02:09. > :02:14.the depth of discontent, and we need a Queen's Speech which rises to that

:02:15. > :02:17.challenge. A Labour Queen's Speech would be about making hard work pay,

:02:18. > :02:22.reforming the banks, freezing energy bills, meeting the big challenges

:02:23. > :02:27.our country faces. Just a flavour of the debate that we will get in a

:02:28. > :02:33.short while. So, this is where the Queen arrives, at the Sovereign's

:02:34. > :02:38.Entrance, and when she arrives, it will be, I can tell you, in a

:02:39. > :02:45.brand-new coach. It is called the Diamond Jubilee State Coach

:02:46. > :02:51.Delivered In March This Year. All Of The Details Inside Show You That

:02:52. > :02:55.This Is Kind Of A Mobile Showcase Of British tradition and history going

:02:56. > :03:02.back nearly 1000 years. More to say about that later on. Continuing in

:03:03. > :03:08.that vein, pageantry and politics today. Piers and guests have already

:03:09. > :03:14.started to arrive, for the biggest event in the Parliamentary calendar.

:03:15. > :03:19.No peer is allowed in unless he or she is wearing the appropriate

:03:20. > :03:25.Parliamentary attire. We have some new faces today, Baroness Lawrence,

:03:26. > :03:29.Stephen Lawrence's mother, who took her seat within the past year. Danny

:03:30. > :03:34.Filkins Steyn, the well-known columnist, who also took his seat in

:03:35. > :03:39.the last year. Some reminding us of a different age, perhaps, Lord

:03:40. > :03:44.Howell, who, as Geoffrey Howe, was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Maybe a

:03:45. > :03:48.little more recent, but it still feels like quite a long time ago, we

:03:49. > :03:53.have another former Chancellor, Lord Lamont, who served under John Major.

:03:54. > :03:58.Baroness Lawrence the sitting next to him. They are all waiting for the

:03:59. > :04:08.Queen's Speech, which will take place shortly. It will be delivered

:04:09. > :04:11.from this spectacular throne. Later on, the Queen will summon members of

:04:12. > :04:15.the House of Commons to this chamber, to the House of Lords, to

:04:16. > :04:21.listen to that speech, and then, of course, unfailing the Government's

:04:22. > :04:23.legislative programme for the session. Plenty of colour and

:04:24. > :04:30.ceremony and tradition surrounding the State Opening. The speech can be

:04:31. > :04:34.traced back to the 16th century, though this current ceremony dates

:04:35. > :04:41.from 1852, after the Palace of Westminster was rebuilt after the

:04:42. > :04:45.fire in 1834. Plenty of display, and plenty of politics to talk about

:04:46. > :04:49.today as well. Let me introduce you to my first guest today, the

:04:50. > :04:56.Presiding Officer of the House of Lords, a position created back in

:04:57. > :05:00.2006. Matthew Parris is with us, of The Times newspaper, in the distant

:05:01. > :05:05.past, a Conservative MP. And, as always on these days, Nick

:05:06. > :05:08.Robinson, the BBC's political editor. Lots of people thought we

:05:09. > :05:12.would not get to this point with this coalition, they did not think

:05:13. > :05:18.it would last this long, but here we are? I sat in this chair, in this

:05:19. > :05:22.studio bubble here, in the days after the general election, before

:05:23. > :05:26.the coalition was formed, and people said, we will have an election

:05:27. > :05:31.within months, whatever arrangement is done, it will not last. I think I

:05:32. > :05:37.said that I thought it would, actually, and it has, and it will,

:05:38. > :05:39.and you are right. A lot of what this speech is about is David

:05:40. > :05:46.Cameron and Nick Clegg saying, we told you so. What's more, or those

:05:47. > :05:49.who say we have got nothing to do, except counting the days until the

:05:50. > :05:54.next general election, we have got quite meaty bills. You will see the

:05:55. > :06:00.one which was trailed at the weekend about reform on pensions. Also, this

:06:01. > :06:05.idea of Dutch style collective pensions, but basically, the message

:06:06. > :06:09.is, we are busy, we are active, we are keeping going. We will be

:06:10. > :06:14.speaking about the individual bills. Aaron S, when you were in the

:06:15. > :06:17.position of Speaker of the House of Lords, getting ready for these

:06:18. > :06:22.situations, what would you have been doing at this time of day? Getting

:06:23. > :06:27.dressed, because it took some time, with the amount of gear that you had

:06:28. > :06:32.to wear! What I found was that the rehearsal the night before was not

:06:33. > :06:40.like real life, because you could trip over laugh, or, you did not

:06:41. > :06:44.actually put on the rogues, and the robes are enormously heavy. And I

:06:45. > :06:49.was always terrified of the steps that go down there, of tripping

:06:50. > :06:56.over. And the Household Cavalry having to pick me up, and you

:06:57. > :07:02.commentating about it! I am sorry, we might have been! But we would

:07:03. > :07:08.have worried about you! You seemed to enjoy it. Well, I hope I put the

:07:09. > :07:12.correct face on it because one was conscious of being part of something

:07:13. > :07:16.which had a long history. Although I have to say that my part in it was

:07:17. > :07:23.made up by Black Rod and the Lord Chamberlain two days previously,

:07:24. > :07:28.because there had never been a Lord's Speaker before. And they had

:07:29. > :07:35.to deal with how it differentiated from the Lord Chancellor.

:07:36. > :07:41.Broomstick, it is all about pageantry and tradition today, is

:07:42. > :07:45.the politics being undersold today? No, in a sense, it is being

:07:46. > :07:50.oversold, there is not much politics here, except for the run-up to the

:07:51. > :07:54.general election. There will not be much of a policy interest in the

:07:55. > :07:58.Queen's Speech. We just have a very long run-up to a general election.

:07:59. > :08:03.This is all about positioning and jockeying and getting one over the

:08:04. > :08:07.other side. So you will see things put into the Queen's Speech which

:08:08. > :08:13.are basically just one upon you, Nick, one upon you, Dave, one upon

:08:14. > :08:19.you, Eddie. We should just enjoy the pageantry. I had difficulty getting

:08:20. > :08:26.here through the's, there was a crowd of beefeaters, all ready to do

:08:27. > :08:36.whatever the beefeaters do. It one of -- it was one of the most surreal

:08:37. > :08:40.experiences of my life. Very briefly, what sometimes people look

:08:41. > :08:46.at, this is part office Christmas party, part school prize day, part

:08:47. > :08:49.great tradition. People wait all year to bring their husband or their

:08:50. > :08:54.wife or their partner to celebrate their involvement in the Houses of

:08:55. > :08:58.Parliament. For the past few days, there have been people hoovering

:08:59. > :09:04.their carpets, repainting the walls, it is a big occasion for the whole

:09:05. > :09:10.village. It is a good moment to get our bearings. The chamber is packed,

:09:11. > :09:13.obviously. We can get our bearings and so that we understand what is

:09:14. > :09:17.happening when the Queen arrives. The State coach will be arriving at

:09:18. > :09:23.the foot of the tower which contains all the Parliamentary archives.

:09:24. > :09:29.Thankfully, the rain is holding off because it looked pretty grim this

:09:30. > :09:33.morning. From there, Her Majesty will make her way up the Norman

:09:34. > :09:39.state case, into the Robing Room itself. There is the staircase. Very

:09:40. > :09:43.soon we will see the Household Cavalry forming a guard of honour

:09:44. > :09:48.there. You can see the gentlemen at Arms ready to take their place. The

:09:49. > :09:56.doors behind them, that is where the Robing Room is. No cameras allowed

:09:57. > :10:02.in there. Once they are in the Robing Room, there will be a few

:10:03. > :10:06.minutes to get ready, and then they will emerge in this magnificent

:10:07. > :10:08.room, the Royal Gallery. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, they will

:10:09. > :10:14.go past all these guests, by the Duke of Edinburgh, they will

:10:15. > :10:19.diplomatic and military circles, and they will head along this gallery to

:10:20. > :10:24.the chamber of the House of Lords. They will need to pass

:10:25. > :10:25.the chamber of the House of Lords. tiny chamber you can see in the

:10:26. > :10:30.distance, that is the tiny chamber you can see in the

:10:31. > :10:40.chamber, exactly above the point where Guy Fawkes was caught in 1605.

:10:41. > :10:42.And then they go into the splendid chamber of the House of Lords,

:10:43. > :10:44.And then they go into the splendid created in 1847. That

:10:45. > :10:49.And then they go into the splendid Queen will take her place on the

:10:50. > :10:50.throne. She will give the signal to summon the House of Commons for the

:10:51. > :10:55.speech. summon the House of Commons for the

:10:56. > :10:58.Lords and the Commons is the central lobby, the heart of the building. My

:10:59. > :11:03.colleague Vicki Young is there for us this morning. That's right.

:11:04. > :11:06.colleague Vicki Young is there for Queen, of course, centre stage over

:11:07. > :11:10.in the House of Lords. Here, through to the Commons chamber, this is

:11:11. > :11:14.where MPs assert their authority. to the Commons chamber, this is

:11:15. > :11:15.The first procession will be the Speaker of the House of Commons,

:11:16. > :11:20.announced along the way Speaker of the House of Commons,

:11:21. > :11:23.officers. Then the cry of,, strangers, telling members of the

:11:24. > :11:30.public to doff their hats. And strangers, telling members of the

:11:31. > :11:33.the man known as Black Rod, who will go straight up to the door of the

:11:34. > :11:36.chamber of the Commons. go straight up to the door of the

:11:37. > :11:40.slammed in his face, and then has to knock three Times to be allowed to

:11:41. > :11:47.go in, and then he knock three Times to be allowed to

:11:48. > :11:50.to the Lords to hear the Queen 's speech. Watch out for a couple of

:11:51. > :11:56.rebellious members of the House of Commons, who always refused to go.

:11:57. > :12:00.Talking about tradition, Black Rod's procession is

:12:01. > :12:07.Talking about tradition, Black tradition which is rooted in

:12:08. > :12:11.history. In a ceremony which dates back more than 300 years, to the

:12:12. > :12:16.civil war, when relations between the Sovereign and the Commons were

:12:17. > :12:20.not quite as nice as they are today, one MP becomes the Queen's hostage,

:12:21. > :12:25.and the MP Jim Fitzpatrick explained that history, telling us about the

:12:26. > :12:32.time that he was detained at Her Majesty per

:12:33. > :12:38.Every time the Parliament to perform the State

:12:39. > :12:41.Opening, we have to stand a hostage to Buckingham Palace to make sure

:12:42. > :12:46.that the monarch is safely returned. Because if they do not go back, they

:12:47. > :12:51.have one of ours. The tradition of the hostage comes from the execution

:12:52. > :12:54.of the monarch at the end of the civil war. This tableau dip its the

:12:55. > :13:02.start of the civil war, almost. This is the king arriving

:13:03. > :13:05.at Parliament to arrest five MPs he has been told are undermining

:13:06. > :13:07.his authority. So at the end of the Civil War,

:13:08. > :13:11.after the defeat of the Royalists, Charles I was put on trial

:13:12. > :13:13.for treason. He was put on trial on this step

:13:14. > :13:16.in 1649. He was charged with treason

:13:17. > :13:18.and found guilty, and the next morning he was taken

:13:19. > :13:22.out and executed in Whitehall. It's as a result

:13:23. > :13:25.of that execution that the royal household demands a hostage every

:13:26. > :13:28.time the monarch comes to perform If anything happens to the monarch,

:13:29. > :13:35.the same fate will befall one We are outfitted with top hat,

:13:36. > :13:45.tails and stripy trousers. When I was there, I was greeted

:13:46. > :13:50.by the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Luce. He made it clear that I could do

:13:51. > :13:53.whatever I wanted in I could wander around,

:13:54. > :13:59.I could have a gin and tonic, cup of coffee, or I could join him,

:14:00. > :14:02.and his preferred option was to watch the State Opening on the BBC,

:14:03. > :14:07.which is what I did with him, and They didn't actually lock me up,

:14:08. > :14:14.but they made it quite clear that I When I expressed my anxiety to

:14:15. > :14:23.the head of the armed forces, he reassured me that

:14:24. > :14:25.if anything happened to Her Majesty, "Jim, we would have made it quick,

:14:26. > :14:29.we would have just shot you". One feels somewhat isolated,

:14:30. > :14:34.because I'm detached But you also feel that you're part

:14:35. > :14:41.of the history, part of the tradition,

:14:42. > :14:43.which obviously gives a sense of And quite happy to come back,

:14:44. > :14:51.of course. But it was quite

:14:52. > :15:13.a memorable experience. staircase for the Queen. And there

:15:14. > :15:17.we have the yeomen of the guard, one of the oldest of the royal

:15:18. > :15:25.bodyguards, raised by Henry VII in the battle of is within 1485 -- the

:15:26. > :15:29.battle of Usworth. Not the most senior, we will see some of them

:15:30. > :15:33.later on. The yeomen of the guard are ready to go in. They have

:15:34. > :15:37.already performed a ceremonial search of the sellers. That is of

:15:38. > :15:53.course linked to the Guy Fawkes' Night said on to. So they performed

:15:54. > :15:57.a search and got a glass of port as a reward. Now they are ready for the

:15:58. > :16:08.great procession in state which will come a little later after the Queen

:16:09. > :16:15.has arrived. This now gives you a sense of the Queen's route. When she

:16:16. > :16:19.turns up with the Duke of Edinburgh, they will be following these

:16:20. > :16:24.footsteps, because they will lead from that staircase for a little

:16:25. > :16:29.pause in the robing room and then into the Prince's Chamber I told you

:16:30. > :16:34.about a short while ago. Baroness Heymann is still with me, watching

:16:35. > :16:38.these images. So far, it is going to plan. And this is the nice thing

:16:39. > :16:42.about this event, it is rooted introduction, and yet lots of these

:16:43. > :16:49.people have very real modern stories to tell? Absolutely. What is

:16:50. > :16:53.wonderful about it partly is the timing and the precision and the way

:16:54. > :17:01.you feel that you are fitting into a very well oiled machine. But also,

:17:02. > :17:05.it is flexible and it does change. When I was made Lord Speaker and the

:17:06. > :17:09.lord Chancellor had done that job for, the Lord chancellors still have

:17:10. > :17:13.two being caught grated into that ceremony. The day was saved by the

:17:14. > :17:19.fact that there was a spare mace, because each of us needed to have

:17:20. > :17:24.our own mace. But because there was a spare kept in the room next to my

:17:25. > :17:33.office, it was OK. So they created a bit of ceremony. When you were

:17:34. > :17:40.commenting on it, it looked as if it had been going on for 100 years.

:17:41. > :17:44.That is the real skill of this. I. You there for a second if I may,

:17:45. > :17:47.because I mentioned but this is the last Queen's Speech before the next

:17:48. > :17:50.election. There is a very important electoral event happening before

:17:51. > :17:55.then of course in September. There will be the referendum on Scottish

:17:56. > :17:59.independence. That is also something that is dominating minds at

:18:00. > :18:02.Westminster in the months to come. Vicki Young is in the Central Lobby

:18:03. > :18:11.for us. Yes, we have had devolution, and it

:18:12. > :18:15.is still at the heart of the UK Parliament. Could big changes be on

:18:16. > :18:21.the horizon? I am joined by the SNP's Angus Robertson and the

:18:22. > :18:24.Liberal Democrat Sir Menzies Campbell. Angus Robertson, are you

:18:25. > :18:28.going to turn your back on this? I look forward to Scotland's

:18:29. > :18:32.Parliament being able to make all the big decisions rather than

:18:33. > :18:35.Westminster. When we look at all the MPs trooping from the House of

:18:36. > :18:40.Commons to the House of Lords, it reminds us that only 4% of

:18:41. > :18:43.parliamentarians between these two Chambers are elected in Scotland. It

:18:44. > :18:47.looks like something more out of the 19th century rather than the 21st

:18:48. > :18:51.century, and I think the advantages of a yes vote are not only that we

:18:52. > :18:53.will get the government and the parliament we always wanted, but

:18:54. > :18:59.something more befitting the century we are in rather than 200 years ago.

:19:00. > :19:04.Sir Menzies Campbell, is this all a bit old-fashioned? Well, this is a

:19:05. > :19:10.constitutional monarchy. The Queen has not abdicated herself, but she

:19:11. > :19:13.has abdicated from a lot of powers that the sovereign previously

:19:14. > :19:18.possessed. But the Queen still has the power to appoint government.

:19:19. > :19:23.That is why she has come today, to read out the government's programme.

:19:24. > :19:27.It seems to me still that these symbols are of enormous significance

:19:28. > :19:31.in underpinning the fact that we live in a constitutional democracy

:19:32. > :19:35.in which powers are clearly separated. From my point of view, it

:19:36. > :19:39.is better that we should remain together, because the stability

:19:40. > :19:43.which has been provided by this Parliament for so many years is

:19:44. > :19:48.something which affects the whole of the United Kingdom. I don't want to

:19:49. > :19:51.give that up. Angus Robertson, the Queen still has a role with the

:19:52. > :19:56.Scottish Parliament. Would she have a role after? She plays a role in

:19:57. > :19:59.the opening of the Scottish parliament, but what we are looking

:20:00. > :20:03.at this year is a significant improvement to governance in

:20:04. > :20:07.Scotland. Today, we are witnessing the opening of a Parliament that

:20:08. > :20:12.governs over Scotland, governed by the third and fourth placed parties

:20:13. > :20:17.in Scotland. That is not a normal democracy. In a normal democracy,

:20:18. > :20:20.the most popular party with the most votes makes the decisions.

:20:21. > :20:25.Westminster does not work like that. That is why we need to change it. It

:20:26. > :20:30.is out of date, and today is a good example of how outdated it is. That

:20:31. > :20:34.ignores the reality, because in Scotland, we have our own government

:20:35. > :20:38.with responsibility for a whole raft of domestic affairs, which this

:20:39. > :20:42.government has devolved to Scotland. So it is wrong to say that the

:20:43. > :20:48.percentage of directly elected people having influence over

:20:49. > :20:51.Scottish politics is only 4%. And of course, the present government and

:20:52. > :20:54.the Labour Party and the Conservative Party and the Liberal

:20:55. > :20:58.Democrats have all said that in the event of a no vote in September, for

:20:59. > :21:02.which I will argue as fervently as I can, then the devolution of powers

:21:03. > :21:13.will be given. Will we hear about that in the Queen's Speech? If it is

:21:14. > :21:16.so important? No, you won't. You will hear about it when we have

:21:17. > :21:20.cleared up the question of independence. So, despite this day

:21:21. > :21:26.of ceremony, there are political arguments as well.

:21:27. > :21:30.Outside the Palace of Westminster, we have the Queen Alexandra State

:21:31. > :21:35.coach arriving. This is one of the first big moments of the ceremony

:21:36. > :21:41.today. It is bringing the Imperial State Crown. We have it on display

:21:42. > :21:46.inside the carriage, closely guarded by some very senior figures. We will

:21:47. > :21:50.talk about them in a short while. And we have the sort of state and

:21:51. > :21:56.the cap of maintenance, all of these powerful emblems of royal authority.

:21:57. > :22:01.They will be carefully taken out, and a few maces as well. They will

:22:02. > :22:07.be taken out from the coach and taken into the world gallery and put

:22:08. > :22:18.on display until the Queen arrives, because they are symbols of royal

:22:19. > :22:19.authority and power. The coach is being

:22:20. > :22:23.authority and power. The coach is Tower, the sovereign 's entrance of

:22:24. > :22:32.the Palace of Westminster. This is one of the royal parts of the Palace

:22:33. > :22:37.of Westminster. And this is an interesting cast list as well,

:22:38. > :22:40.because we have people here representing those who used to row

:22:41. > :22:45.the royal barges up and down the Thames. That was when the sovereign

:22:46. > :22:50.is used to Thames as the main mode of transport. The royal watermen.

:22:51. > :22:56.There are 24 of them still under the command of the Queen's barge master,

:22:57. > :23:00.who is standing there, waiting to help bring out the Imperial State

:23:01. > :23:11.Crown. There we have the crown jewel, Martin Smith, handing it over

:23:12. > :23:15.to the barge master, Paul Ludwig. And this gentleman is the controller

:23:16. > :23:19.in the Lord Chamberlain's office. He is responsible for lots of the royal

:23:20. > :23:26.events and ceremonies, for organising them. It is his duty to

:23:27. > :23:31.take this great symbol of the Queen's authority, the Imperial

:23:32. > :23:34.State Crown. We only see it at correlations and State Opening of

:23:35. > :23:40.Parliament. He will take this into the regalia room, and it will be

:23:41. > :23:45.placed on a much grander cushion and then taken up the staircase to the

:23:46. > :23:57.world gallery and put on display. -- the royal gallery. Behind, you can

:23:58. > :24:09.see the sword of state, all part of the regalia that are integral to

:24:10. > :24:17.today's ceremony. And just on the left, the cap of maintenance. A

:24:18. > :24:26.reminder of the gift that the Pope used to bring to those monarchs that

:24:27. > :24:30.he favoured in days gone by. They will be turning left here for a few

:24:31. > :24:37.minutes to make sure everything is polished and speak and spam -- speak

:24:38. > :24:47.and span before they formally proceed up the staircase.

:24:48. > :24:57.The guard of honour are in position for when the Queen arrives in about

:24:58. > :25:03.15 or 20 minutes' time. So now that the Crown is being safely looked

:25:04. > :25:07.after, let me introduce you to our new guests. We have Sajid Javid, who

:25:08. > :25:10.has recently become the Secretary of State the culture. We have Tom brake

:25:11. > :25:15.for the Liberal Democrats, deputy leader of the house of commons, and

:25:16. > :25:20.Jack Straw, Labour's former Foreign Secretary, former Home Secretary,

:25:21. > :25:22.former Lord chancellor, I could go on. Is there anything in the state

:25:23. > :25:32.opening you have not done apart from read the speech? I have not been the

:25:33. > :25:36.Queen! What does today represent? Above all, today represents the fact

:25:37. > :25:40.that we live in a constitutional monarchy. It took many centuries to

:25:41. > :25:46.get the balance of power established. Personally, I think we

:25:47. > :25:49.do well in terms of our constitutional arrangements. Of

:25:50. > :25:53.course it always need to be approved, but the fact that we have

:25:54. > :25:58.had stability in this country since the civil war in the 17th century,

:25:59. > :26:02.we have not been through the convulsions every other European

:26:03. > :26:07.country has been through as well as countries across the world, is based

:26:08. > :26:10.on this conscious Jewish Norse settlement which was hacked out in

:26:11. > :26:16.the 17th century -- this constitutional settlement. The

:26:17. > :26:21.settlement is sometimes referred to as the Crown in Parliament, and

:26:22. > :26:25.there we have the Crown. It represents the Queen in relation to

:26:26. > :26:30.the legislature, and the fact that this is in many ways a unique kind

:26:31. > :26:36.of carving up of the powers of responsibilities. Yes. There are

:26:37. > :26:41.plenty of constitutional monarchies in Europe and some elsewhere, and I

:26:42. > :26:49.would say this, but we have managed this really well. And as a result,

:26:50. > :26:52.we have had this to belittle. -- this stability. Acts of Parliament

:26:53. > :26:56.go through both houses, but they do not go through law until they

:26:57. > :27:01.receive royal assent, still promulgated in ancient legal French.

:27:02. > :27:10.What is happening now is that Andrew Ford is handing over the Crown to

:27:11. > :27:15.this gentleman, a very important figure. He is in charge of the royal

:27:16. > :27:21.parts of the Palace of Westminster. He will be one of those greeting the

:27:22. > :27:26.Queen when she arrives shortly. It is on display in the world gallery,

:27:27. > :27:32.the Crown, because it is there to demonstrate publicly the Queen's

:27:33. > :27:38.authority. She is coming to Parliament today to open Parliament

:27:39. > :27:43.and to deliver that Queen's Speech. So the Crown is on display, and we

:27:44. > :27:47.will see that the cap of maintenance and the sword of state are also

:27:48. > :27:52.being placed on display. Not quite as important as the Imperial State

:27:53. > :27:58.town, but they are also powerful and ancient symbols of the Monica's

:27:59. > :28:03.authority. -- the monarch's authority. Very shortly, once we

:28:04. > :28:06.know that the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are safely on their way

:28:07. > :28:11.from Buckingham Palace, the Crown will then be into the robing room,

:28:12. > :28:18.ready for the Queen's arrival and ready for that procession in state.

:28:19. > :28:21.And waiting patiently to pick up again, we have our guests with us.

:28:22. > :28:28.Does this kind of ceremony really fit in with a diverse century

:28:29. > :28:30.Britain? Actually, I think it does. I agree with what Jack said about

:28:31. > :28:36.the constitutional importance of this. I came into Parliament in

:28:37. > :28:39.2010. That was the first opportunity I had to watch the Queen's Speech

:28:40. > :28:46.and participate in the Commons up close. But even now, I find it an

:28:47. > :28:50.enormous source of pride about our country. Of course there is politics

:28:51. > :28:54.today and we may come to that later, but what is more important today is

:28:55. > :28:59.that this is a moment of national pride for us all. You put the

:29:00. > :29:03.politics aside for a while and reflect on what this means about our

:29:04. > :29:09.country and our constitutional arrangements in government. Tom,

:29:10. > :29:12.your perspective? Some of your Lib Dem colleagues have said we should

:29:13. > :29:17.move away from this kind of stuff in the 21st century. We should not

:29:18. > :29:22.forget that there is a practical side to this in terms of the Queen's

:29:23. > :29:26.Speech and the content, which sets out the government's programme of

:29:27. > :29:30.action. And it is an opportunity for the coalition government to set out

:29:31. > :29:34.its programme, but it is also an opportunity for the Liberal

:29:35. > :29:38.Democrats to set out areas we think are a priority, such as child and

:29:39. > :29:49.pensions. In all of this debate today, are we really in a position,

:29:50. > :29:53.Jack, where we say that with 11 months to go, anyone is pretending

:29:54. > :30:02.that you can introduce a substantial programme of legislation with that

:30:03. > :30:06.kind of timetable? You can do it, I have been involved in doing it! This

:30:07. > :30:12.is quite a light programme of legislation. The government may want

:30:13. > :30:15.to make a merit of that, or it may be a consequence of coalition

:30:16. > :30:19.disagreements, I do not know. But one thing I feel is that there is an

:30:20. > :30:23.opportunity here to make sure that the legislation which does come

:30:24. > :30:25.forward is better scrutinised on the floor of the House of Commons. The

:30:26. > :30:29.criticism I floor of the House of Commons. The

:30:30. > :30:33.administration, we started this, although

:30:34. > :30:38.administration, we started this, was to timetable bills too tightly.

:30:39. > :30:40.In this situation, there will be a lot of space available, but what

:30:41. > :30:45.would be damaging for the reputation of Parliament would he if the same

:30:46. > :30:54.tight timetabling took place, and the rest of the time was devoted to

:30:55. > :30:56.frankly inconsequential debates. I think scrutiny is absolutely

:30:57. > :31:00.important and is always right for any bill which comes before

:31:01. > :31:05.Parliament, that you should have enough time to scrutinise it. Where

:31:06. > :31:10.I will pick up a bit on what Jack said is, I do not want to pre-empt

:31:11. > :31:14.what Her Majesty will be saying, but I think you will find there is more

:31:15. > :31:22.in this speech than there was in Labour's last Queen's Speech. I know

:31:23. > :31:24.that the Queen is just leaving... People will find that this

:31:25. > :31:28.that the Queen is just leaving... programme which is suitable for an

:31:29. > :31:32.11 month session, and there is meat in it, and perhaps the suggestion

:31:33. > :31:38.that this is a parliament which has nothing to do I think be proved

:31:39. > :31:43.wrong. So, just a few seconds ago, this is what was happening at

:31:44. > :31:45.Buckingham Palace. This is the brand-new Diamond Jubilee State

:31:46. > :31:52.Coach that I was telling you about, made principally in Australia,

:31:53. > :31:54.buying Jim Frecklington, who was responsible for the work

:31:55. > :31:57.buying Jim Frecklington, who was Australian State Coach, which was

:31:58. > :31:59.buying Jim Frecklington, who was delivered in 1988. But we are told

:32:00. > :32:04.that this is a much more sumptuous affair, and a much more interesting

:32:05. > :32:09.vehicle in many ways, because it contains all kinds of little

:32:10. > :32:13.samples, not just in terms of timber and other things, which represented

:32:14. > :32:18.lots of the iconic locations throughout the United Kingdom -

:32:19. > :32:23.cathedrals, castles, royal residences and all the rest of it.

:32:24. > :32:28.So, that coach, which we will see today, and we will see a lot more of

:32:29. > :32:31.in the future, is kind of a mobile museum of British culture going back

:32:32. > :32:38.1000 years. Talking of that long tradition, we now have the Lords

:32:39. > :32:42.chamber Lin, as I mentioned earlier, taking the Imperial State Crown from

:32:43. > :32:44.the Royal Gallery into taking the Imperial State Crown from

:32:45. > :32:50.Room. They now know that taking the Imperial State Crown from

:32:51. > :32:54.is on her way. It is not a long run from Buckingham Palace, even in that

:32:55. > :32:59.coach, down The Mall, and into Parliament Square. Just a few

:33:00. > :33:03.minutes before Her Majesty arrives. The Crown

:33:04. > :33:08.minutes before Her Majesty arrives. Robing Room in preparation. Nick

:33:09. > :33:13.Robinson... It is interesting, we have just gone through a moment of

:33:14. > :33:19.rejection of the political parties in the recent elections, not by

:33:20. > :33:23.everybody, but by a substantial portion of the electorate, a

:33:24. > :33:28.rejection of the three main parties. We heard the SNP saying, we want to

:33:29. > :33:32.put all of this ceremony behind us. But what is interesting to me is

:33:33. > :33:38.that people do not seem to be rejecting this, particularly. Back

:33:39. > :33:43.in the 1980s, there were questions about, should we start putting this

:33:44. > :33:46.behind us? But it seems to me, political rejection is more about

:33:47. > :33:52.what politicians do and say and behave, rather than this. I am just

:33:53. > :34:03.being told that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are just

:34:04. > :34:07.arriving. This is the Irish State Coach and that

:34:08. > :34:10.arriving. This is the Irish State Welsh Guards

:34:11. > :34:10.arriving. This is the Irish State anthem. They are

:34:11. > :34:16.arriving. This is the Irish State Stephen 's entrance. The 1st

:34:17. > :34:21.Battalion Welsh Guards providing a guard of honour for the Queen and

:34:22. > :34:24.the Duke. Here we have the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

:34:25. > :34:32.They attended the State Opening for the first time together last year.

:34:33. > :34:40.The Prince actually had not attended since 1996, I do not think, before

:34:41. > :34:46.last year. So, this is the second time that they have attended as a

:34:47. > :34:53.couple. They are now arriving at the Sovereign 's entrance, under the

:34:54. > :34:59.Victoria Tower. Later on we will see Charles and Camilla seated at the

:35:00. > :35:06.side of the Queen, just on the right-hand side of the main throne,

:35:07. > :35:24.in the ceremonial Chairs Of State. This is a relatively new development

:35:25. > :35:31.that we are seeing. That is the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshall, who

:35:32. > :35:35.is in charge of the really big events of state, including

:35:36. > :35:40.Coronations, state funerals, really big events. Really, he is the

:35:41. > :35:45.organising mastermind of the State Opening. I was just mentioning the

:35:46. > :35:49.sensitivity around the understandable process of looking

:35:50. > :35:55.ahead, and the fact that Charles and Camilla, taking a more prominent

:35:56. > :35:59.role, Nick? Just in this, but we remember that Charles went to the

:36:00. > :36:03.G20 summit in Sri Lanka, instead of Her Majesty, the first time that he

:36:04. > :36:10.had presided over a Commonwealth summit. So, yes, the Palace are

:36:11. > :36:14.thinking ahead, planning, considering how Her Majesty will

:36:15. > :36:17.manage as she gets older. There are some things which she no longer

:36:18. > :36:22.quite feels able to do that particular ceremonies. But what

:36:23. > :36:26.always strikes people here is how well she seems to cope at an

:36:27. > :36:30.occasion like this. We all think of our own friends and relatives, we

:36:31. > :36:37.think of ourselves, and we think, not sure I would quite manage that

:36:38. > :36:42.at that age! Charles is a youthful 65, so that is a slightly different

:36:43. > :36:46.context. Just going into the Robing Room, to wait for Her Majesty to

:36:47. > :36:52.arrive. At this point, before we get to the main event today, which is

:36:53. > :36:57.the delivery of the speech, a thought on how the speech is put

:36:58. > :37:02.together, and about the kind of political tensions which there might

:37:03. > :37:06.be, because you are two different parties facing an electoral context

:37:07. > :37:11.next May, so can you tell us about the process of getting the Queen's

:37:12. > :37:17.Speech together? I think you touched on it earlier in your programme.

:37:18. > :37:20.Many people said back in 2010 that this coalition would not last. It is

:37:21. > :37:26.not the way Latics is done in Britain, they said. What we have

:37:27. > :37:31.shown is that where we have a common goal, and we have gone through the

:37:32. > :37:35.deepest recession in almost 100 years, and those challenges the

:37:36. > :37:39.country faced both the coalition together, and we focused resolutely

:37:40. > :37:44.on those areas. That means bringing the deficit down, welfare reform, a

:37:45. > :37:47.host of other changes. But what you will see from the speech today is

:37:48. > :37:51.that there is still a lot more to do. We have got a long-term plan for

:37:52. > :37:56.that and it is something the coalition is still working very hard

:37:57. > :38:00.together on. People might not realise that what the Queen 's

:38:01. > :38:05.speech reflects is the competing demands of different ministers, in

:38:06. > :38:11.that they all want to get a bill in that session, and of course, the

:38:12. > :38:14.time is limited, particularly for this session, as we know it is a ten

:38:15. > :38:19.month session. So, it is about balancing those competing demands

:38:20. > :38:25.and making sure that coalition partners are comfortable with the

:38:26. > :38:30.content, to sum it stand. We have heard about things to do with child

:38:31. > :38:34.care and pensions, strong things for the Liberal Democrats, which they

:38:35. > :38:40.want to see, and equally there will be things which reflect Conservative

:38:41. > :38:44.priorities. Nick, what about this speech? What is revealing is what is

:38:45. > :38:50.not in there. If this was purely the Conservatives, there would a bill on

:38:51. > :38:54.Europe. But there isn't, because the Liberal Democrats would not agree to

:38:55. > :38:57.it. If it was the Lib Dems on their own, there are all sorts of things

:38:58. > :39:00.which they would want in terms of constitutional reform and other

:39:01. > :39:05.things, which the Tories are not willing to back. So you have to look

:39:06. > :39:08.for what is not there as well as what is there. Another little

:39:09. > :39:14.example - will there really be a promise of legislation to make all

:39:15. > :39:17.cigarettes be sold in plain paper packaging? I have just got a hunch

:39:18. > :39:23.they will say, we are not quite ready to have a look at that just

:39:24. > :39:26.yet. This is the procession of the Lord Speaker. We were speaking to

:39:27. > :39:38.Baroness Hayman earlier, who was the first Lord Speaker to be appointed.

:39:39. > :39:41.This is her successor. This is Baroness de Souza, and they are

:39:42. > :39:46.making their way to the area at the head of the staircase, and there

:39:47. > :39:54.will be others congregate there very soon. There is Black Rod, who has

:39:55. > :39:59.such a big role to play later. The Duke of Norfolk on the right. And we

:40:00. > :40:06.caught a glimpse of Andrew Lansley, the Lord Privy Seal. Next we have

:40:07. > :40:10.the Lord Chancellor's procession, Chris Grayling, the first non-lawyer

:40:11. > :40:14.to be Lord Chancellor for hundreds of years. Given that Jack Straw has

:40:15. > :40:20.done this and is sitting next to me, your thoughts on this procession?

:40:21. > :40:24.Well, one main thought is to make sure that you stick to the

:40:25. > :40:31.injunction is imposed on you by the Lord Great Chamberlain and the O

:40:32. > :40:36.Marshall at the rehearsal, and you literally do not put a foot wrong.

:40:37. > :40:39.It is a bit like juggling or riding a horse, you have just got to

:40:40. > :40:44.concentrate! This bit is pretty straightforward. But there are bits

:40:45. > :40:52.I worried about a lot, like going up the steps and coming down backwards

:40:53. > :40:56.down the steps. The first time I did this, I left from the wrong door,

:40:57. > :41:01.and the Duke of Edinburgh up braided me on this on his way out. So, there

:41:02. > :41:06.is lots to worry about. Chris Grayling, Ken Clarke and I are the

:41:07. > :41:18.first commoners to have ever done this since Thomas more, and we all

:41:19. > :41:24.know what happened to him! So, these are the peers who will be in the

:41:25. > :41:29.procession. Lord Hill, the Leader of the House of Lords, nearest to us,

:41:30. > :41:35.and Lord Walker, former Chief of Defence Staff. They will be

:41:36. > :41:38.responsible for processing with the Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of

:41:39. > :41:47.State. So, all of the principal players getting into place. Also the

:41:48. > :41:54.Purse Bearer, because the person that we saw actually contains the

:41:55. > :42:05.speech itself. You have a spare copy in your pocket! Is that right? Yes,

:42:06. > :42:11.not half! And this is the new Diamond Jubilee State Coach, in

:42:12. > :42:16.public for the first time, and four divisions of the Sovereign's

:42:17. > :42:19.Escort, led by the Blues and Royals in their scarlet tunics.

:42:20. > :42:23.Escort, led by the Blues and Royals you really have a sense of the

:42:24. > :42:26.intricate work which has gone into this coach. No wonder it took eight

:42:27. > :43:13.years to build. the Band Of The Welsh Guards, and

:43:14. > :43:39.the guard of honour provided by 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

:43:40. > :43:43.What is going to happen next is that the Queen is passing behind us. It

:43:44. > :43:55.is a great view that we have here, actually. You can just see the roof

:43:56. > :44:02.of the coach, which goes into the Victoria Tower. There will be a

:44:03. > :44:06.fanfare to signal the Queen's arrival, and the royal standard will

:44:07. > :44:08.be unfurled, replacing the Union flag at the top of the Victoria

:44:09. > :44:53.Tower. the fanfare sounded either state

:44:54. > :44:58.trumpeters. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the State

:44:59. > :45:05.Opening of Parliament. Preceded on the staircase by the heralds, who,

:45:06. > :45:09.in the past, were royal messengers. These days, they are in charge of

:45:10. > :45:25.all of the heraldic customs of the College Of Arms. And just following

:45:26. > :45:30.is Black Rod, who is preparing for his starring role in the State

:45:31. > :45:35.Opening, when he goes and summons the Commons, a little later on.

:45:36. > :46:01.There is Thomas Woodcock, the Senior Herald.

:46:02. > :46:06.her 61st state opening of Holland. She celebrated her 80th birthday

:46:07. > :46:12.this year. The Duke, next week, will celebrate his 93rd birthday. So,

:46:13. > :46:21.making their way into the Robing Room, the George IV diadem will be

:46:22. > :46:24.replaced with the imperial state emblem. In the world gallery, the

:46:25. > :46:30.Herald is getting ready to lead this procession in state. The state

:46:31. > :46:38.procession is only seen at the State Opening of Parliament and at the

:46:39. > :46:48.coronation. So it is a rare event, and it is a special event. The Black

:46:49. > :46:55.Rod, David Leakey, is ready to make his way down towards the Central

:46:56. > :47:04.Lobby. And he will wait there for the signal from the House of Lords.

:47:05. > :47:09.That will be his signal to make his way down to the House of Commons and

:47:10. > :47:13.to summon the MPs. Let's join Vicky again. She may catch sight of Black

:47:14. > :47:19.Rod in a second. That's right. Here, we are waiting

:47:20. > :47:24.for the speaker's procession, which will be the first procession to come

:47:25. > :47:27.through here. Over my shoulder, you can see the inspector, who is

:47:28. > :47:31.preparing for hats off, strangers, which he shouts as the speaker comes

:47:32. > :47:36.through, telling the public to take their hats off in deference to the

:47:37. > :47:42.speaker. He has admitted to me to a bit of nerves. He has a jewel role

:47:43. > :47:45.to Dave -- a jewel role. He has to do that and then he has to accompany

:47:46. > :47:49.the Black Rod through the House of Commons, where lack one will have

:47:50. > :47:55.that door slammed in his face. All of that drama to come. It is a

:47:56. > :48:00.very powerful symbol of the supremacy and power of the House of

:48:01. > :48:05.Commons. That is what it is about. We can enjoy the drama, but it

:48:06. > :48:09.signifies something very important. So when the police inspector gives

:48:10. > :48:14.that warning, hats off, strangers, we will know the speaker is on his

:48:15. > :48:17.way and we will know that we are not far off the moment when the Queen

:48:18. > :48:23.will emerge in the royal gallery itself. Jack, given that you have

:48:24. > :48:29.been there and done it several times, at this moment, once the

:48:30. > :48:33.Queen is in the palace, there is very little you can do. It is all

:48:34. > :48:37.set in stone? It is completely set in stone, but going back to the

:48:38. > :48:43.discussion we had earlier, this is not just undermine. There is real

:48:44. > :48:47.importance in the fact that Black Rod is sent by the Queen to summon

:48:48. > :48:54.her Parliament, but the door is slammed shut. That goes back to the

:48:55. > :48:59.extraordinary divisions that blew up during the civil war, the fact that

:49:00. > :49:05.Charles the First Minister send soldiers into the House of Commons

:49:06. > :49:11.to arrest five members of Parliament. Since then, known

:49:12. > :49:15.monarch has been allowed onto the floor of the House of Commons. And

:49:16. > :49:20.we decide whether we will hear what the Queen has to say. So it

:49:21. > :49:23.symbolises this once of our not only between Parliament and the Queen,

:49:24. > :49:26.but between the elected House of Commons and the appointed House of

:49:27. > :49:32.Lords. Is that point always clear? Do you think people understand the

:49:33. > :49:35.significance of that part of the ceremony, which has something to do

:49:36. > :49:39.with the very important struggle that took place, the fact that the

:49:40. > :49:43.House of Commons today has a very different purpose and status to the

:49:44. > :49:48.upper chamber? I don't think they always do, and it is always worth

:49:49. > :49:52.explaining that again and again. Although I know that, hearing Jack

:49:53. > :49:58.explained it reminds you of the importance of this. It is not just a

:49:59. > :50:05.pantomime. This is about our history and our heritage. So, waiting

:50:06. > :50:11.patiently in the House of Lords, hundreds of peers. There we have

:50:12. > :50:17.gnawed Michael Grade, one of the great figures of broadcasting --

:50:18. > :50:21.Lord Michael Grade. Let's see if we can see some familiar faces. There

:50:22. > :50:26.we have Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, having a look

:50:27. > :50:36.at his BlackBerry! Or it may be an iPhone. Yes, there we are. Obviously

:50:37. > :50:42.very important, whatever it is. There are members of the judiciary

:50:43. > :50:45.here today. There are people here representing the different parts of

:50:46. > :50:48.the constitutional settlement. A former Conservative minister there

:50:49. > :50:55.who then became Labour, Quentin Davies. We have seen a few other

:50:56. > :51:01.familiar faces. We had Norman Lamont earlier. There is Baroness Warsi,

:51:02. > :51:05.conservative. Nick, you were going to say? I was going to pick up what

:51:06. > :51:09.Jack Straw was talking about in terms of the ceremony. People who

:51:10. > :51:14.come here often do not know any of the history, but they can't be in

:51:15. > :51:23.this building without becoming imbued with it. The speaker defied

:51:24. > :51:29.the monarch, and that is why we have this ceremony. I am representing the

:51:30. > :51:33.people, not the monarch, said the speaker, as he refused to comply

:51:34. > :51:37.with the members of Parliament. There are some like myself who come

:51:38. > :51:41.as a correspondent who knew none of this history, but you learn it as

:51:42. > :51:45.you show people around. And very few people, even real critics of our

:51:46. > :51:49.constitutional settlement, and up thinking that that does not matter.

:51:50. > :51:56.Well, I suppose I am more on the moderniser wing. However, I think

:51:57. > :52:00.this ceremony is one that provides a historical explanation for what our

:52:01. > :52:06.Parliament does and why it does it. And it sets a framework within which

:52:07. > :52:10.the business of the house can then be performed in a more efficient and

:52:11. > :52:15.functional manner, so I think it works. In Central Lobby, I am told

:52:16. > :52:19.the speaker's procession is on its way. The inspector is ready to give

:52:20. > :52:27.that command for hats off, strangers. We will see the speaker,

:52:28. > :52:31.John Bercow, with the Sergeant at arms, and he will also be

:52:32. > :52:34.accompanied by the chaplain. I expect that they have left his

:52:35. > :52:47.office and come up along the library corridor, and then they will turn

:52:48. > :52:56.left, I think, Jack? It is right. But he is coming from the left.

:52:57. > :53:02.Whichever way he is coming from, he will turn right! Well, we are told

:53:03. > :53:12.he is seconds away. So as soon as the procession emerges, I think we

:53:13. > :53:44.are almost there, actually. Speaker! Hats off, strangers. Led by

:53:45. > :53:50.the doorkeeper, Vaughan Williams, and the sergeant at arms, Lawrence

:53:51. > :53:55.Ward. Started off at the Postal Service, carrying one of the ancient

:53:56. > :54:00.Masons, again, symbols of the authority of the Commons. Followed

:54:01. > :54:07.by the Speaker, John Bercow. And the train bearer, Jim Davie. And there

:54:08. > :54:13.we have the Speaker's secretary and chaplain as well. They are making

:54:14. > :54:16.their way into the members' lobby of the House of Commons. Very different

:54:17. > :54:17.in sense and in style the House of Commons. Very different

:54:18. > :54:23.to the House of Lords. the House of Commons. Very different

:54:24. > :54:26.Speaker is being acknowledged by lots of fellow members

:54:27. > :54:30.Speaker is being acknowledged by of Commons. There will be a short

:54:31. > :54:32.session of prayer. That is the traditional start to the day

:54:33. > :54:36.session of prayer. That is the House of Commons, which we will not

:54:37. > :54:40.Speaker is in and settled, they will Speaker is in and settled, they will

:54:41. > :54:50.be waiting to be summoned by Black Rod. So the door is shut. The maze

:54:51. > :54:59.will be placed near the dispatch boxes. -- the mace. Signalling that

:55:00. > :55:04.the house is to be in session. Then we will leave the Commons at that

:55:05. > :55:05.point. The prime minister and Nick Clegg are there, Ed Miliband as

:55:06. > :55:28.well. So the bell is signalling that

:55:29. > :55:32.prayers are taking place in the chamber of the Commons. Let's have a

:55:33. > :55:35.look at the royal gallery, because that will tell us something about

:55:36. > :55:39.what is going on in terms of the timings. There you have the doors to

:55:40. > :55:48.the Robing Room, and they are all waiting for the signal when the Lord

:55:49. > :55:52.Chamberlain will come out and note that the Queen is ready to process.

:55:53. > :55:57.All the heralds are waiting patiently. The Gentlemen at Arms,

:55:58. > :56:01.another group of royal bodyguards. They were raised by Henry VIII,

:56:02. > :56:07.unlike the Yeomen of the Guard, raised by Henry VII. And the state

:56:08. > :56:14.trumpeter is ready to sound the fanfare. The Lord Chamberlain has

:56:15. > :57:02.now emerged, ready to give the signal.

:57:03. > :57:28.The procession in state is underway, for the 61st State Opening

:57:29. > :57:37.of Parliament, involving Her Majesty the Queen. The Queen has given

:57:38. > :57:43.regular audiences to 12 prime ministers, and is celebrating 66

:57:44. > :57:47.years of Harwich to the Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales and

:57:48. > :57:53.Duchess of Cornwall are taking their place in the procession. --

:57:54. > :58:01.celebrity 66 years of marriage. The Herald is leading the way.

:58:02. > :58:10.The Lord Speaker, Lord Privy Seal, Lord Chancellor, the Earl Marshall,

:58:11. > :58:19.Lord Great Chamberlain. And there we have Lord Hill, bearing the cap of

:58:20. > :58:25.maintenance and general of the Lord Walker with the sword of state. Her

:58:26. > :58:31.Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh. And then the pages of honour, Hugo

:58:32. > :58:45.Bertie and the Honourable Charles Armstrong Jones. Making their way

:58:46. > :58:48.into the Prince's Chamber, which is dominated by a vast marble statue of

:58:49. > :58:53.Queen Victoria, but there are portraits of Tudor monarchy is

:58:54. > :58:58.dotted around the Prince's Chamber as well. That leads directly into

:58:59. > :59:03.this great chamber of the House of Lords, a temper which has seen so

:59:04. > :59:11.many changes over the past century. -- chamber. Everyone rises.

:59:12. > :59:19.The Queen will take her place on the principle thrown, next to the Duke

:59:20. > :59:23.of Edinburgh. The two chairs of state on the left are for the Prince

:59:24. > :59:40.of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen will give a

:59:41. > :00:11.signal to send Black Rod. My Lords, pray be seated.

:00:12. > :00:14.Rod, in a very determined way, steps off from the heart of the Palace of

:00:15. > :00:18.Westminster in the Central Lobby. That is where members of the public

:00:19. > :00:23.can come in and meet members of parliament, where they cannot be

:00:24. > :00:31.their member, if you like. Black Rod's approach has been announced by

:00:32. > :00:36.one of the officers of the house. And the doors to the House of

:00:37. > :00:41.Commons, as we expend earlier, will be slammed in his face, a

:00:42. > :00:42.devastation of the independence and the authority of the House of

:00:43. > :01:12.Commons. Close the door! He steps into the chamber of the

:01:13. > :01:23.Commons to deliver the Queen's message.

:01:24. > :01:36.Mr Speaker, Her Majesty the Queen commands this Honourable House

:01:37. > :01:46.attends Her Majesty immediately in the house of peers.

:01:47. > :01:53.Coalition's last stand! LAUGHTER.

:01:54. > :01:58.No prizes for guessing the contributor, the veteran Labour MP

:01:59. > :02:03.Dennis Skinner. Venturing that this Queen's Speech might be the

:02:04. > :02:07.coalition's last. Some people with me right now will vigorously

:02:08. > :02:11.disagree with that! So, the procession from the Commons, Mr

:02:12. > :02:20.Cameron, Esther Miliband, Harriet Harman and Nick Clegg. They will

:02:21. > :02:24.walk along the corridor which leads to the central lobby, and then up to

:02:25. > :02:34.the House of Lords to listen to the speech.

:02:35. > :02:41.This is a great moment, Nick, because everyone is so cheerful and

:02:42. > :02:47.chatty, you do wonder, sometimes. Yes, I think the leaders of rival

:02:48. > :02:50.parties think about it quite hard, what on earth are we going to talk

:02:51. > :02:55.about and no because they will be seen on camera, so, finding a safe

:02:56. > :03:00.topic to talk about, particularly when there is no love lost. I think

:03:01. > :03:05.these two probably get on rather better than David Cameron and Gordon

:03:06. > :03:09.Brown did. But they fell out over Syria, and David Cameron was pretty

:03:10. > :03:16.angry with Ed Miliband's stance over that, for example. There are some

:03:17. > :03:20.untold stories about British politics. Yes, there are some

:03:21. > :03:24.exciting, in century moments, but on the whole, people get on with each

:03:25. > :03:29.other OK. There is no rule which says you should not get on with

:03:30. > :03:34.people on the other side less well than you do with people on your own

:03:35. > :03:38.side. Do not forget the famous observation that once you have got

:03:39. > :03:47.the opposition in front of you, you have got the enemy behind! So, you

:03:48. > :03:49.have not got rivalries in the same way. I just wonder whether the

:03:50. > :03:55.subject of UKIP might be way. I just wonder whether the

:03:56. > :04:01.around which everybody should have discourse in and open and frank

:04:02. > :04:06.manner. It might be about children, or there is a common event, they are

:04:07. > :04:13.boat off to D-Day, so they might be talking about that.

:04:14. > :04:23.I think it is important that the public can see that they are normal

:04:24. > :04:28.human beings. There is a lot of common ground between them as well.

:04:29. > :04:34.They experience the same things, and they get some of the same private

:04:35. > :04:38.briefings. Yes, but also, we have all got the same problem of how to

:04:39. > :04:40.interest more British citizens in the question of politics.

:04:41. > :04:48.JONATHAN EDWARDS: The Duke of Norfolk is

:04:49. > :04:52.tell the Lord Chancellor to deliver the speech. This will be done very

:04:53. > :05:33.carefully. My Lords and members of the House of

:05:34. > :05:36.Commons. My government's legislative programme will continue to deliver

:05:37. > :05:43.on its long-term plan to build a stronger economy and a fairer

:05:44. > :05:47.society. To strengthen the economy and provide stability and security,

:05:48. > :05:51.my ministers will continue to reduce the country's deficit, helping to

:05:52. > :05:58.ensure that mortgage and interest rates remain low. An updated charter

:05:59. > :06:02.for budget responsibility will be brought forward to ensure that

:06:03. > :06:10.future governments spend taxpayers' money responsibly. My government

:06:11. > :06:18.will also continue to cut taxes in order to increase people's financial

:06:19. > :06:21.security. My ministers will implement measures to increase

:06:22. > :06:27.further the personal allowance and to freeze fuel duty. Measures will

:06:28. > :06:31.be brought forward for a married couple's allowance, which will

:06:32. > :06:38.recognise marriage in the tax system. Legislation will be

:06:39. > :06:45.introduced to help make the United Kingdom the most attractive place to

:06:46. > :06:48.start, finance and grow a business. The bill will support small

:06:49. > :06:55.businesses by cutting bureaucracy and enabling them to access

:06:56. > :07:00.finance. New legislation will require ministers to set and report

:07:01. > :07:05.on a deregulation target for each Parliament. The legislation will

:07:06. > :07:11.also reduce delays in employment tribunal 's, improve the fairness of

:07:12. > :07:17.contracts for low-paid workers and establish a public register of

:07:18. > :07:22.company ownership. Legislation will be introduced to provide for a new

:07:23. > :07:30.statutory code and an adjudicator to increase fairness for public house

:07:31. > :07:33.tenants. Legislation will impose higher penalties on employers who

:07:34. > :07:39.fail to pay their staff the minimum wage. Measures will be brought

:07:40. > :07:49.forward to limit excessive redundancy payments across the

:07:50. > :07:51.public sector. In respect of national insurance contributions,

:07:52. > :07:56.legislation will be brought forward to tackle avoidance and to simplify

:07:57. > :08:01.their collection from the self-employed. My government will

:08:02. > :08:05.introduce a bill to bolster investment in infrastructure and

:08:06. > :08:13.reform planning law to improve economic competitiveness. The bill

:08:14. > :08:17.will enhance the United Kingdom's energy independence and security by

:08:18. > :08:22.opening up access to shale gas and geothermal sites, as well as

:08:23. > :08:27.maximising North Sea resources. Legislation will allow for the

:08:28. > :08:35.creation of an allowable solution scheme to enable all new homes to be

:08:36. > :08:41.built to a zero carbon standard, and will guarantee long-term investment

:08:42. > :08:45.in the road network. My government will continue to implement major

:08:46. > :08:48.reforms to the electricity market and reduce the use of plastic

:08:49. > :08:54.carrier bags to help protect the environment. A key priority for my

:08:55. > :09:02.ministers will be to continue to build an economy which rewards those

:09:03. > :09:06.who work hard. Legislation will be brought forward to give those who

:09:07. > :09:11.have saved discretion over the use of their retirement funds. My

:09:12. > :09:16.government's pension reforms will also allow for innovation in the

:09:17. > :09:31.private pensions market to give greater control to employees, extend

:09:32. > :09:35.the ISA and premium bond schemes... The overall benefits bill will

:09:36. > :09:37.continue to be capped so that public expenditure continues to be

:09:38. > :09:44.controlled, and policies will be pursued so that people are helped

:09:45. > :09:47.from welfare to work. My government will increase housing supply and

:09:48. > :09:55.home ownership by reforming the planning system, enabling new,

:09:56. > :10:02.locally led garden cities and supporting small house building

:10:03. > :10:04.firms. Legislation will be brought forward to sell high-value

:10:05. > :10:10.government land, encouraging development and increasing housing.

:10:11. > :10:13.My ministers will continue to promote the Help to Buy and rights

:10:14. > :10:21.to buy schemes to support homeownership. My government will

:10:22. > :10:27.continue to deliver the best schools and skills for young people. In

:10:28. > :10:32.England, my ministers will help more schools to become academies. They

:10:33. > :10:39.will support more free schools to open, whilst continuing investment

:10:40. > :10:45.to deliver more school places. Further reforms to GCSEs and

:10:46. > :10:47.A-levels will be taken forward to raise standards in schools and

:10:48. > :10:53.prepare school pupils for employment. My government will

:10:54. > :11:01.increase the total number of apprenticeship places to 2 million

:11:02. > :11:06.by the end of the Parliament. My government will continue to work to

:11:07. > :11:10.build a fairer society. To improve education attainment and Child

:11:11. > :11:17.health, my government will ensure all entrants will receive a free

:11:18. > :11:21.school meals. Free childcare will be extended to more of the most

:11:22. > :11:29.disadvantaged two-year-olds. And a bill will be introduced to help

:11:30. > :11:33.families with childcare costs. A bill will be introduced to

:11:34. > :11:37.strengthen the powers to prevent Modern Slavery Bill human traffic

:11:38. > :11:43.while improving support for victims of such crimes. A bill will be

:11:44. > :11:48.brought forward to provide that where a person acts heroically,

:11:49. > :11:56.responsibly or for the benefit of others, this will be taken into

:11:57. > :12:01.account by the courts. Legislation will be introduced to improve the

:12:02. > :12:10.complaints system in the Armed Forces through the creation of an

:12:11. > :12:15.ombudsman. A Serious Crime Bill will be brought forward to tackle child

:12:16. > :12:21.neglect, disrupt serious organised crime and strengthened powers to

:12:22. > :12:25.seize the Proceeds of Crime Act my government will continue its

:12:26. > :12:29.programme of political reform. My ministers will introduce legislation

:12:30. > :12:35.on the recall of members of Parliament. My government will

:12:36. > :12:41.continue to implement new financial powers for the Scottish Parliament

:12:42. > :12:47.and make the case. And to remain a part of the United Kingdom. My

:12:48. > :12:53.ministers will continue with legislation, giving the National

:12:54. > :12:54.Assembly For Wales and Welsh ministers more powerful taxation and

:12:55. > :13:00.investment. My ministers more powerful taxation and

:13:01. > :13:05.continue to work with the devolved administration in Northern Ireland

:13:06. > :13:14.to rebalance the economy, promote reconciliation and create a shared

:13:15. > :13:16.future. Draft legislation will be published providing for direct

:13:17. > :13:24.elections to the national park authorities in England. Members of

:13:25. > :13:31.the House of Commons, estimates for the public services will be laid

:13:32. > :13:35.before you. My lords and members of the House of Commons, the United

:13:36. > :13:39.Kingdom will work for peace and security on Europe's borders and

:13:40. > :13:46.forced able relations between Russia and Ukraine based on respect for

:13:47. > :13:51.national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law. My

:13:52. > :13:55.government will host the integrity and international law. My

:13:56. > :14:02.in Wales as a sign of the United Kingdom's commitment to the

:14:03. > :14:07.Alliance. My ministers will strive to improve the humanitarian

:14:08. > :14:13.situation in Syria, to reduce violence and promote a political

:14:14. > :14:26.settlement. It will work for a successful transition in

:14:27. > :14:33.settlement. It will work for a efforts to prevent sexual violence

:14:34. > :14:36.in conflict worldwide. My government will work to

:14:37. > :14:38.in conflict worldwide. My government European Union, including

:14:39. > :14:41.in conflict worldwide. My government role for members states and national

:14:42. > :14:47.in conflict worldwide. My government parliaments. My ministers will also

:14:48. > :14:53.champion efforts to secure a global agreement on climate change. Prince

:14:54. > :14:59.Philip and I will pay a state visit to France and will attend events to

:15:00. > :15:07.mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. We look forward to

:15:08. > :15:07.mark the 70th anniversary of the welcoming his Excellency the

:15:08. > :15:09.mark the 70th anniversary of the Singapore on his forthcoming state

:15:10. > :15:20.visit. Singapore on his forthcoming state

:15:21. > :15:22.the House of Commons, I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may

:15:23. > :15:52.rest upon your counsels. The speech has been delivered,

:15:53. > :15:55.it is taken away by the Lord Chancellor. The pages of honour step

:15:56. > :16:38.forward. The train is the assembled peers. And they leave

:16:39. > :16:43.through the Prince's Chamber, back through the royal gallery, down to

:16:44. > :16:52.the Robing Room, before they leave the Palace of Westminster. The

:16:53. > :17:08.Gentlemen at Arms are forming a guard of honour inside the Prince's

:17:09. > :17:17.Chamber. The prime minister. Along with Deputy Prime Minister, prepare

:17:18. > :17:21.to leave the chamber of the Lord's. The Queen and the Duke go back

:17:22. > :17:27.through the royal gallery. There was a reference in the Queen's Speech to

:17:28. > :17:36.the state visit to France, because this is an incredibly busy week in

:17:37. > :17:40.anyone's book. State opening today, and several garden parties this week

:17:41. > :17:44.at Buckingham Palace. And then a three-day state visit to France,

:17:45. > :17:53.which involves a visit to Paris to meet President Hollande and the

:17:54. > :17:57.prime minister, and then to Normandy for those special 70th anniversary

:17:58. > :18:01.commemorations of the day. That is this Friday. And then more events

:18:02. > :18:04.for the Queen and the Duke in Paris on Saturday morning before they

:18:05. > :18:10.return, so it is an incredibly busy week for them. The Prince of Wales

:18:11. > :18:12.and the Duchess of Cornwall will also be in France for the D-Day 70th

:18:13. > :18:32.anniversary. Back into the Robing Room, which

:18:33. > :18:35.during the Second World War served as the chamber of the House of

:18:36. > :18:40.Lords, because the building was badly damaged. The House of Commons

:18:41. > :18:41.itself was almost destroyed. So the Commons met in the Lords and the

:18:42. > :18:57.Lords met in the Robing Room. So, the return to the House of

:18:58. > :19:03.Commons. Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. And there

:19:04. > :19:16.we have the Speaker and the Sergeant at arms.

:19:17. > :19:20.And a gentleman with the beard, I just want to mention him before he

:19:21. > :19:25.disappears. That is so Robert Rogers, Clark to the House of

:19:26. > :19:30.Commons. He is about to retire after 40 years of service in Parliament.

:19:31. > :19:35.So a quick mention of Sir Robert and the work he has done. I am sure a

:19:36. > :19:39.lot of MPs will be pleased to recognise him. A little later, we

:19:40. > :19:46.hope he will join Vicky for a chat about his time.

:19:47. > :19:49.So, the Queen's Speech, the last of this Parliament. And yes, people

:19:50. > :19:52.were saying it would be a little thin, but as we went through it and

:19:53. > :19:58.making a list, the list was quite long, not just of bills, but of aims

:19:59. > :20:04.and ambitions. Yes, be careful with that. I feel sorry for Her Majesty

:20:05. > :20:06.for having to read out party political propaganda. It would be

:20:07. > :20:10.better if she read out what the government would do instead of

:20:11. > :20:14.phrases like long-term plan, continue to cut taxes, increase the

:20:15. > :20:17.personal allowance and other political guff that is put in her

:20:18. > :20:22.mouth not just by this government, but by the last one as well. But if

:20:23. > :20:26.you look at the to-do list, that is what the Queen's Speech is,

:20:27. > :20:31.Parliament's to-do list. We have got 11 new bills, which is not many. It

:20:32. > :20:36.is the lowest number since the year before the last general election,

:20:37. > :20:40.when there were ten. I am sure Tom will say, hold on, there are six

:20:41. > :20:44.pills that are continuing to make their way through. In other words,

:20:45. > :20:49.they did not finish in the last Parliamentary session. Those are

:20:50. > :20:53.things like the high-speed to Bill. With the available time, that will

:20:54. > :20:57.keep people reasonably busy. But what Jack Straw was saying before

:20:58. > :21:01.and Matthew Parris was saying, where is the real substance? There were

:21:02. > :21:07.important things that people might care passionately about, whether it

:21:08. > :21:13.is plastic bags or modern slavery, there are things that matter

:21:14. > :21:16.desperately that politicians do not do much about at election time. The

:21:17. > :21:20.real meat in terms of the argument, though, which we may still talk

:21:21. > :21:27.about in 30 years' time, is the pension reform. That is a dramatic

:21:28. > :21:32.change to the way people save. Sajid, you had an important Treasury

:21:33. > :21:35.role before the role you are in now. Remind us what the Queen said

:21:36. > :21:40.about pensions? The government's tension reforms will also allow for

:21:41. > :21:46.innovation in the private pensions market, to give greater control to

:21:47. > :21:52.employees, extend the ice and premium bond schemes and abolish the

:21:53. > :21:58.saver's 10p tax rate. There were a few elements there, but really the

:21:59. > :22:02.pension reform. For someone who does not understand what it is about, in

:22:03. > :22:07.a sentence, what is it? There are two major pensions bills. The first

:22:08. > :22:11.one refers to the announcement made at the time of the Budget, which is

:22:12. > :22:16.to allow people at the point of retirement to use their pension

:22:17. > :22:25.funds as they wish, so they will no longer be obligated to purchase an

:22:26. > :22:30.annuity. With any significant change, of course there is risk. No

:22:31. > :22:34.one is pretending there is not. But what we have proposed, I think is a

:22:35. > :22:38.lot better than the current system. Our view is that if people have been

:22:39. > :22:41.sensible enough to save their entire working life to put this money

:22:42. > :22:44.aside, there will also be sensible when they draw that money down and

:22:45. > :22:48.we should not force them to make a choice that may not be right for

:22:49. > :22:55.them. The second pension bill is about offering alternatives in terms

:22:56. > :22:59.of how you invest in the private pensions market. It is referred to

:23:00. > :23:02.as the collective pension schemes which have been used in other

:23:03. > :23:05.countries such as the Netherlands, which is an alternative to the

:23:06. > :23:10.current offerings we have each allow people to pull their investments

:23:11. > :23:15.together to effectively take charge of the economies of scale that will

:23:16. > :23:18.come from that fire having reduced costs. We think that will eventually

:23:19. > :23:22.lead to having a higher pension. So it is providing more choice. We'll

:23:23. > :23:27.all of that be law by the next election? I hope so. That is

:23:28. > :23:32.certainly the intention. Let me pick up one point that Nick was saying.

:23:33. > :23:37.There are 16 bills in total in this Queen's Speech. That doesn't include

:23:38. > :23:39.three draft bills. By the same measure, that is three more than

:23:40. > :23:45.there were in labour's last Queen's Speech. All day today, we have had a

:23:46. > :23:50.in terms of quantity, this in terms of quantity, this

:23:51. > :23:53.government is running out of steam, which is completely incorrect. What

:23:54. > :23:58.matters most is the quality, not the quantity. The quality of the change

:23:59. > :24:02.we are seeing here is continuing to build on what has been said. As the

:24:03. > :24:06.Queen herself said, we have a long-term plan for the challenge is

:24:07. > :24:09.this country faces, and that is what matters. With Labour, they might

:24:10. > :24:13.have had a lot more bills during that time in Parliament overall, but

:24:14. > :24:18.it left us with the deepest recession in almost 100 years and

:24:19. > :24:24.the biggest visit of any G20 country in the world's largest banking

:24:25. > :24:30.bailout. Jack, do you have any problem -- tom, any problem with the

:24:31. > :24:35.pension provisions? No, they are about flexibility and freedom. They

:24:36. > :24:38.are driven by a Liberal Democrat minister who is widely recognised as

:24:39. > :24:41.the person who knows the most about pensions anywhere in the country.

:24:42. > :24:45.One other area is what we are proposing in relation to

:24:46. > :24:50.infrastructure and the support we are giving to small businesses. The

:24:51. > :24:56.fantastic record we have got in terms of creation of employment, the

:24:57. > :24:59.1.7 million new jobs that have come in the private sector, that is

:25:00. > :25:02.overwhelmingly driven by small business. So we want to continue

:25:03. > :25:07.what we are doing in terms of deregulation. So when we say there

:25:08. > :25:10.are only 11 bills, one of the carried over bills is the

:25:11. > :25:14.deregulation bill which I am involved in, which is about cutting

:25:15. > :25:23.cost to businesses and the public sector. The other theme I wanted to

:25:24. > :25:27.bring in and ask you about was Europe. Let's remind ourselves of

:25:28. > :25:33.what the Queen had to say on that. My government will work to promote

:25:34. > :25:39.reform in the European Union, including a stronger role for member

:25:40. > :25:50.states and national parliaments. What does that mean? We are not

:25:51. > :25:53.going to argue about this, there should be a stronger role for

:25:54. > :25:59.national parliaments. In the Lisbon Treaty, that is how it is supposed

:26:00. > :26:03.to be. Part of the problem is a cultural issue in Brussels. The

:26:04. > :26:08.snuggly, this is not party policy, I would give a stronger role to

:26:09. > :26:10.national parliaments by abolishing the direct elections to European

:26:11. > :26:15.Parliament, because in my judgement, it has failed. The system we had

:26:16. > :26:18.before worked perfectly satisfactorily, whether Parliament

:26:19. > :26:23.was composed of representatives of national parliaments. We introduced

:26:24. > :26:29.lots of changes to increase turnouts. Turnouts across Europe

:26:30. > :26:33.have been going down and down. So I think we need to think about it, but

:26:34. > :26:40.that is not remotely party policy. But certainly, as we saw in the

:26:41. > :26:43.local and European elections, there is a profound sense of alienation

:26:44. > :26:49.with the European Union. I am far from convinced that you get that

:26:50. > :26:55.back by having a referendum, but we have to see it brought back. A

:26:56. > :27:01.couple of things to say. Firstly, my recollection it be wrong about this,

:27:02. > :27:05.but in the last Queen's Speech... The Queen is just leaving. We will

:27:06. > :27:09.pick up that conversation shortly, because the Queen and Duke of

:27:10. > :27:12.Edinburgh are preparing to leave the Palace of Westminster. Just

:27:13. > :27:16.acknowledging the heads of the armed forces, who are lined up on her

:27:17. > :27:25.right. And sharing a joke with Chris Grayling. The Lord Chancellor,

:27:26. > :27:32.Baroness to Susan. The Lord Speaker. And checking the purse. It is a bit

:27:33. > :27:39.late now, Jack! I think the Duke is explaining that on one occasion, the

:27:40. > :27:42.speech was not put back properly. And then the lord chancellor was not

:27:43. > :27:47.able to close the bag, which is very heavy. You have got to be careful

:27:48. > :27:58.about it. Well, he is explaining it in a very animated way. That gives

:27:59. > :28:04.you a sense that this part of it is very relaxed. It is. The Queen is

:28:05. > :28:12.such a remarkable woman, at the age of 88. She can still carry out these

:28:13. > :28:15.kinds of public duties. She must be relieved at this point, because the

:28:16. > :28:21.heavy crowd has gone, the train has gone. The formal duty is over, so it

:28:22. > :28:27.is a moment when she cannot quite relaxed, but tensions may be a bit

:28:28. > :28:30.over. So, the members of the household cavalry have impatiently

:28:31. > :28:33.standing to attention for the whole of the morning -- patiently standing

:28:34. > :28:47.to attention. The heralds, as well. Taking their

:28:48. > :28:54.place at the foot of the Victoria Tower, in the vicinity of the

:28:55. > :29:01.Sovereign's Entrance. So those who greeted the Queen will be there to

:29:02. > :29:05.say farewell. The Lord Great Chamberlain is in charge of the

:29:06. > :29:11.royal parts of the palace. I am talking about the royal Gallery and

:29:12. > :29:15.the Robing Room. And they have a responsibility for Westminster hall.

:29:16. > :29:21.But most of the palace is not under royal jurisdiction. So the Marquis

:29:22. > :29:28.of Cholmondeley is in charge of those royal bits of the Palace of

:29:29. > :29:31.Westminster. And another look at the brand-new coach, the Diamond Jubilee

:29:32. > :30:03.State Coach. A gimp 's at the interior, because

:30:04. > :30:06.there are lots of little in later pieces of wood, highly polished,

:30:07. > :30:15.which come from posters like Holyrood house and Windsor Castle

:30:16. > :30:21.and Canterbury Cathedral. Lots of little samples, if you like, which

:30:22. > :30:25.represent 1000 years of British and Commonwealth tradition. It is a real

:30:26. > :30:30.work of art, to put it mildly. And to signal that the Queen is leaving,

:30:31. > :30:37.the royal standard is being lowered. The union Jack is now back in place

:30:38. > :30:39.above the Palace of Westminster. The fanfare has sounded, which means the

:30:40. > :31:04.Queen is ready to leave. The coach is leaving, and once

:31:05. > :31:10.again, in our studio, I have to say, we have a rather splendid view of

:31:11. > :31:17.the Queen's departure. Just the roof of the coach in view. Although it is

:31:18. > :31:18.a rather dull day, a little wet, everything is glistening and

:31:19. > :32:21.gleaming. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, PLAYED by the

:32:22. > :32:25.band of the Welsh Guards. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall

:32:26. > :32:31.are also taking part in the visit to France later in the week. They will

:32:32. > :32:40.be meeting veterans in Normandy. They will then be taking part in the

:32:41. > :32:45.big events on Friday. There is a big international event in the

:32:46. > :32:55.afternoon, involving heads of state from around the world. And then

:32:56. > :32:56.there will be the last formal parade of the Normandy veterans, before

:32:57. > :33:21.they disbanded later this year. This is the Irish State Coach which

:33:22. > :33:26.I believe was bought by Queen Victoria in 1852, when she paid a

:33:27. > :33:32.visit to Dublin and took a liking to it. I believe it was the Lord Mayor

:33:33. > :33:49.of Dublin's coach. So, for ?700, it was bought! But I do not think we

:33:50. > :33:52.are putting a value on it today. After the Prince of Wales leaves, we

:33:53. > :34:00.will go into the Royal Gallery and we can see the Imperial State Crown,

:34:01. > :34:03.the Crown which was we made for George VI in 1937, and then adjusted

:34:04. > :34:07.again in 1953 George VI in 1937, and then adjusted

:34:08. > :34:13.the Queen. This is the one which is on display among the crown jewels at

:34:14. > :34:22.the Tower of London. The prime item on display. And it is being taken

:34:23. > :34:55.down to the Sovereign's Entrance. HUW EDWARDS: So, this is the final

:34:56. > :35:05.part of the ceremonial. The first stage was earlier on, and

:35:06. > :35:07.now we have Andrew Ford, the Controller of the Lord Chamberlain's

:35:08. > :35:12.Office, the man who is in charge of lots of these royal events, garden

:35:13. > :35:24.parties and investitures, it is his responsibly take to bring the Crown

:35:25. > :35:38.to the Palace of Westminster. So, first, the Sword of State.

:35:39. > :35:42.To be followed by the Cap of Maintenance, which we can just see

:35:43. > :36:56.on the right. Safely inside. So, the Palace

:36:57. > :37:02.looking rather calm, because we have had the main positions. On the

:37:03. > :37:07.European matter, Jack Straw, what do the recent elections tell us about

:37:08. > :37:14.the state of public opinion on Europe? I will ask colleagues as

:37:15. > :37:15.well. We likely to see that translate into real policy?

:37:16. > :37:18.Obviously there translate into real policy?

:37:19. > :37:23.something in the Queen's Speech, but what are we likely to see in real

:37:24. > :37:26.terms? What the recent elections tell us is that there is a level of

:37:27. > :37:31.discontent, which is reflected not just in the UKIP vote, but in the

:37:32. > :37:34.sentiment of voters of all parties about what has happened to the

:37:35. > :37:40.European Union, risibly following the crisis in the euro. It is not a

:37:41. > :37:45.project I was ever remotely in favour of, but that was a bridge too

:37:46. > :37:51.far. What was interesting was that in many countries in Europe, you

:37:52. > :37:54.have got parties which are explicitly anti-EU, but even in

:37:55. > :37:58.those which are not, there are big debates taking place, even in

:37:59. > :38:01.Germany, about as it were the repatriations of powers which are

:38:02. > :38:04.unnecessary. In this country there is a broad consensus about what

:38:05. > :38:08.needs to be done, we have just got to make sure that we build up

:38:09. > :38:13.allies. One of my concerns out about the way Mr Cameron is operating is

:38:14. > :38:18.that, over this crucial issue over who should be resident of the

:38:19. > :38:22.European Commission, I share reservations about Jean-Claude

:38:23. > :38:25.Juncker, let me tell you. His country has not had a great

:38:26. > :38:29.reputation in terms of tax avoidance, for example, so I have

:38:30. > :38:34.huge reservations about him, but you have got to build alliances. How

:38:35. > :38:37.important is your commitment to a referendum? I would have liked to

:38:38. > :38:40.have seen it in the Queen's Speech. But we could not have it because we

:38:41. > :38:45.did not have coalition agreement on it. We tried everything we could

:38:46. > :38:48.through private members' bill is to try to get that referendum

:38:49. > :38:52.commitment through, but it was not possible to get it into the Queen's

:38:53. > :38:57.Speech. But as a party, we are committed to its. What those

:38:58. > :39:00.elections showed us is that there is significant discontent with

:39:01. > :39:04.Britain's relationship with Europe, a feeling that too many powers have

:39:05. > :39:09.gone to Brussels, and needs to come back. Where I respectfully disagree

:39:10. > :39:13.with Jack is, I do not think there is broad consensus on this. The

:39:14. > :39:17.Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party are happy with the status quo,

:39:18. > :39:21.even suggesting that more powers could go to Europe. And you cannot

:39:22. > :39:27.get a beer negotiation if that is what you truly believe without

:39:28. > :39:31.having an in-out referendum. I am shaking my head because the Liberal

:39:32. > :39:34.Democrats, we are in favour of reform at an EU level. For example,

:39:35. > :39:38.the rigmarole of parliament meeting in two places, that kind of thing

:39:39. > :39:42.has got to be changed. We have already legislated as a coalition

:39:43. > :39:47.government for the to be a referendum if there was any

:39:48. > :39:53.significant transition of powers. I think what the argument is about is,

:39:54. > :39:58.how can we achieve reform, what is the most effective way of doing

:39:59. > :40:03.that, is it by sniping from the sidelines or by getting stuck in,

:40:04. > :40:07.trying to build allies, as Jack said? We are going to pause for a

:40:08. > :40:13.second. We will be joining Vicki Young once again right now. One of

:40:14. > :40:18.the oldest roles in Parliament is Clerk Of The Commons, which dates

:40:19. > :40:22.back hundreds of years. It has been held for the last three years by Sir

:40:23. > :40:30.Robert Rogers, who is retiring this year. What is it like to take part

:40:31. > :40:33.in this kind of ceremony? It is a fantastic experience, and it reminds

:40:34. > :40:37.us that there are three parts of parliament, the Lords, the Commons

:40:38. > :40:41.and the Queen. And it is a day of contrasts. We have had the fantastic

:40:42. > :40:49.ceremonial this morning, and this afternoon, the House resumes, and I

:40:50. > :40:53.have two read out the title of a bill which underlines the fact that

:40:54. > :40:56.it is the right of the Commons to proceed with business regardless of

:40:57. > :41:01.what they may need to do in answer to the Queen's Speech. But the

:41:02. > :41:04.dignified framework in the morning, and then the hurly-burly of

:41:05. > :41:08.adversarial politics in the afternoon is a great contrast, and

:41:09. > :41:13.it is part of what Parliament is. There are hundreds of thousands of

:41:14. > :41:18.people who work here, aren't there? It is something like 2000 in the

:41:19. > :41:22.House of Commons service, yes, with a fantastic range of skills and

:41:23. > :41:26.experiences, we provide all the support services that the House

:41:27. > :41:35.needs to conduct its business. I have got experts at rebuilding would

:41:36. > :41:40.work, for example. That is just to maintain this incredible building.

:41:41. > :41:45.And it goes right across to economic research experts, people who support

:41:46. > :41:50.select committees, doorkeepers, who provide security, it is a remarkable

:41:51. > :41:54.group of people. I am very proud to have led them for the last three

:41:55. > :41:59.years. And you are retiring this year? On the 1st of August, yes.

:42:00. > :42:03.What is your favourite memory? It is a panoply of memories, whether it is

:42:04. > :42:13.the confidence vote in 1979, or great speeches, or moments, the vote

:42:14. > :42:19.on Syria, perhaps, just a few months ago, where the role-play of the

:42:20. > :42:25.Commons suddenly became a lot more important.

:42:26. > :42:35.Having read his biography, I am told that he can actually speak a bit of

:42:36. > :42:45.medieval Welsh. So in my book, he is a very good man. So, we are reaching

:42:46. > :42:49.the end of the coverage. What are we going to be concentrating on in the

:42:50. > :42:52.11 months up to the election, Tom? For the Liberal Democrats, it will

:42:53. > :42:55.be about building a stronger economy, that is why we saw in the

:42:56. > :43:00.Queen's Speech an emphasis on jobs in the private sector, why we saw

:43:01. > :43:08.matters pertaining to apprenticeships in a fairer society.

:43:09. > :43:14.We are investing in childcare and things like the pupil premium. These

:43:15. > :43:17.are coalition priorities, and we need to continue with the long-term

:43:18. > :43:21.plan which we have got for the country. We need to keep building a

:43:22. > :43:26.stronger economy. But it shows that there is a lot more work to be done.

:43:27. > :43:30.Jack? We are all agreed about a stronger economy. The big issue will

:43:31. > :43:38.be about fairness. I thought it was interesting that the Queen's Speech

:43:39. > :43:42.flattered what elevates -- what Ed Miliband has been saying about

:43:43. > :43:45.energy and so forth. Along with the issue of housing as well. It is good

:43:46. > :43:51.rhetoric, but not enough performance from the government. There is no

:43:52. > :43:54.piece of legislation which will dominate the election. Either the

:43:55. > :43:59.unexpected will come and trouble members of parliament, or frankly,

:44:00. > :44:06.it will be on the campaign trail. And I think it is going to change

:44:07. > :44:09.the electoral map of Britain. More on the BBC News Channel throughout

:44:10. > :44:21.the day. Thanks for watching. Goodbye.