This Queen’s
Speech marks the next big step in our long-term plan for Britain. Its
aim: to secure the recovery for our country. We want a Britain that earns its
keep and makes its way in the world, with a strong economy, a fair society and
peace of mind for all that live here.
Its guiding principle: to back
everyone who wants to get on in life. We may be 2 parties, with 2 different
philosophies, but we understand 1 thing: countries rise when their people rise.
So this Queen’s Speech is unashamedly pro-work, pro-business and
pro-aspiration.
Its centrepiece: ground-breaking
pensions reform. The reforms we plan will be the biggest transformation in our
pensions system since its inception, and will give people both freedom and
security in retirement. By no longer forcing people to buy an annuity, we are
giving them total control over the money they have put aside over their
lifetime and greater financial security in their old age. It’s all part
of our wider mission to put power back in the hands of the people who have
worked hard – trusting them to run their own lives. At the same time
we’re completing sweeping reforms to workplace pensions to give employees
more certainty about their income in retirement. Taken together, this is a
revolution that matches our previous reforms to education and welfare in giving
people opportunities they were previously denied.
All of this builds on what we
have achieved as a coalition. It is easy to forget when we first came together
in the national interest just how sceptical people were about how long the
Coalition could last and how much change we could effect. 4 years on, our
parties are still governing together and still taking bold steps. 4 years on,
no-one can deny the progress we have made. The deficit down by a third; our
economy one of the fastest-growing in the developed world; more than 1.5
million more people in work – and more people in work than ever before; a
welfare system that ensures work pays; more than 1 million new apprentices;
taxes cut; inequality declining and fewer children attending failing
schools.
Of course, there is still a long
way to go. But this Queen’s Speech marks a significant step. It builds on
the foundations we have laid in the past 4 years, will help us make progress
and continue to take Britain forward to a brighter future.