‘No difference in Red Wall' Boris Johnson warned 'thin' agenda to cost him key voters
BORIS JOHNSON will be faced with "big problems" if he pursues "thin" legislative policies that will make "no difference to the Red Wall areas", a political journalist has claimed.
Queen's Speech 'won't make a difference to red wall' says Crick
Michael Crick, broadcaster and political writer, criticised the Queen’s Speech yesterday, which was written by the standing Government, of being “very very thin”. He said while there was a large quantity of bills mentioned by Prince Charles, who was stepping in for the Queen, they were “sort of almost one line bills”, “tinkering stuff” really. He accused the Prime Minister of failing to make good on his election promises to level up and said the Government is facig "big problems".
Speaking on TalkTV, Mr Crick said: “Well, Queen’s Speeches these days are generally very very thin. I mean 38 bills is quite a lot of bills in itself but the actual bills were pretty thin. They’re sort of almost one line bills. This is all tinkering stuff.
“Now having said that, I think there is a danger in politics with everyone assuming ‘Oh well, all the Government has to do is legislate and that changes the world’.
“And of course there’s all sorts of things that the Government do, and should do, that don’t actually need legislation.
“Things like the so-called cost of living crisis, measures to deal with that don’t really require legislation on the whole.
“And we were led to believe that levelling up was going to be the great theme of this Parliament at the election.
“We’re three years in now and hardly anything has happened regarding levelling up. We’ve got one or two measures to give councils extra powers.
“But they are not going to be able to make a difference to the so-called Red Wall areas in the Midlands and the North at the rate they’re going.
“And that is going to present this Government with big big problems.”
READ MORE: We need to start seeing Brexit dividend now or what was it all for? TI [OPINION]
The levelling up secretary Michael Gove dismissed suggestions this morning that an emergency budget could be brought forward.
He accused the media of “overinterpreting” a comment made by the Prime Minister about the provision of fresh help “in the days to come”.
Mr Gove said: "There won't be an emergency budget. It is sometimes the case that the words from a Prime Minister or minister are overinterpreted.
"The Prime Minister is right. We will be saying more and doing more in order to help people with the cost-of-living challenge we face at the moment, but that doesn't amount to an emergency budget. It is part of the work of the Government.
DON'T MISS:
Boris move to tackle cost of living 'could define time in Number 10!' [REPORT]
Boris pressed to implement tax cuts NOW after infuriating backbenchers [REVEAL]
Prince Charles has 'new sense of duty' as he fills in for Queen [REVEAL]
He added: "Last night the Prime Minister convened a group of ministers - we have all done work on some of the things we could do to help. Those policy initiatives will be announced by individual departments in due course as they are worked up."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of being “bereft of ideas” following the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday.
Mr Johnson then responded by saying the Government had "the fiscal firepower to help families up and down the country with all the pressures they face now", hinting at a possible emergency budget.
He added: "We will continue to use all our ingenuity and compassion for as long as it takes and the chancellor and I will be saying more about this in the days to come."