Boris Johnson questioned the “eroding” effects of the cost-of-living crisis
The Prime Minister said his government had waged a “relentless campaign to deliver on the Brexit promise”. Laws to cut red tape, encourage growth and make the most of new technology are on the way, along with measures to “rejuvenate the streets and restore pride to local areas” by dealing with neglected property. The Prime Minister told the Sunday Express that a “super seven” set of liberty Brexit bills would allow Britain “to thrive as a modern, dynamic and independent nation”.
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His pledge comes as the party loathes the loss of famous councils and the sacking of some 500 council members. Senior Conservative Party figures have urged their leader to focus on “raising the bar” ahead of the next general election.
Mr Johnson said: “I’m proud that my government is seizing the tremendous opportunity that our new freedoms offer in Brexit. This relentless drive to deliver on the promise of Brexit is why we brought up seven Brexit laws in the Queen’s speech.
“I call them the Super Seven – and they will benefit families and businesses around the world by changing the old EU rules that don’t work for the UK. From data reform to gene editing to financial services, these bills will enable us to thrive as a modern, dynamic and independent country, and this government is on a mission to showcase that.”
The Queen’s speech on Tuesday will include legislation to make trade deals with Australia and New Zealand a reality and eliminate tariffs on 100 percent of goods exported to those countries.
It will also present the long-awaited Brexit Freedoms Bill, which will facilitate the removal of the remaining EU laws that are still on the bust book. It is hoped this will save around £1billion in red tape for UK businesses.
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The Queen’s speech will remove tariffs on exports of goods (Bild: Getty)
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A new law will remove “unnecessary barriers inherited from the European Union” to enable gene modifications to increase disease resistance in crops and reduce pesticide use.
The forthcoming Public Procurement Act will make it easier for small and medium-sized companies to apply for public contracts. The Financial Services and Markets Act would cut red tape to make the UK a more attractive place to invest, and the Data Reform Act would aim to improve the “burdening GDP” system and allow for more effective and secure information sharing between public bodies.
Meanwhile, new animal welfare laws will raise standards “beyond the EU” and crack down on puppy smuggling.
The store is also on its way to bringing life back to Britain’s high streets. Frustration at the state of run-down city centers is one of the main reasons many of the Labor Party’s traditional ‘Red Wall’ seats will move to the Conservative Party in 2019.
Mr Johnson is determined to tackle the problem of shops sitting empty for years, major roads being damaged and “new job opportunities being missed”.
Councils would be given greater powers to control buildings, with the aim of “converting roofed businesses or derelict buildings into thriving businesses, common areas or housing”.
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PM ‘has motive to deliver on his Brexit promise’ (Bild: Getty)
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Mr Johnson said: “Major roads across the country have always been overshadowed by abandoned shop fronts as they were neglected and deprived local areas of opportunities. We are fixing this by putting power back in the hands of local leaders and the community. Our cities can be rejuvenated, increase opportunity and restore neighborhood pride.”
The latest studies indicate that one in seven shops is empty, and in the north-east even one in five. New “forced rent auctions” are forcing landlords to auction off shop premises that have been vacant for a year.
Settlements Secretary Michael Gove said: “By allowing communities to let shops that have been vacant for a year or more, we will end the scourge of closed shops which has ravaged some of our great towns across the country for far too long on the high streets breathe new life and transform once bustling communities into vibrant places to live and work, and regain local pride as we soar across the country.”
Councils will also be given new powers for ‘extension payments’ through MPOs. This will make it easier to obtain land for social housing construction.
Sidewalk approval routines will also be permanently scrapped to take some of the pressure off year-round outdoor catering businesses. This will come with a temporary €1.7bn in price relief for businesses.
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Michael Gove is urging people to rent shops (Bild: Getty)
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Jake Perry, who heads the Northern Research Group (NGG) for Conservative MPs, has urged the government to focus on increasing prosperity in parts of the country that have fallen behind the wealthiest regions.
He said: “In the difficult midterm elections the Conservatives have shown that we can still gain more ground against the far-fetched Labor Party in the North. As we move past Covid, it becomes clear that this is the compromise agenda of the North.” and the government that gives us the opportunity to build on the achievements that we have made. I reviewed the 2019 election.”
A senior Conservative source added: “The work NRG has done to keep the top level on the agenda has been crucial. If we want to be successful next time, upgrading is a priority – no doubt.”
Will Tanner, who was deputy head of politics during Theresa May’s government, said the prime minister should resist the temptation to focus on the “culture war” issues that concern Westminster but care little about voters.
“People care about how much money they have in their pockets, whether they feel safe walking the streets at night, and unsustainable immigration,” he said.
He, too, said Boris Johnson needed to show he was delivering on his promises to raise the country’s level.
“You can’t upgrade regions overnight,” he said. “It’s a 10 or 15 year mission. But they must show that some progress has been made and give people hope that more is to come.”
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Conservatives vow to tackle immigration (Photo: PA)
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The comments echo a poll commissioned by Onward, the think tank now run by Mr Tanner, which found managing the cost of living is the number one issue for voters.
When asked what parties should focus on to win their vote, 59 percent chose to address the cost of living crisis as one of their top three concerns.
In second place was the state of the NHS, ranked as a key issue by 43 per cent of voters, while 32 per cent said the economy was a key issue for them.
Johnson is likely to be targeted by the Conservative Party for his handling of the so-called “Party Gateway” controversy over pandemic-era rallies at Downing St.
The senior MP said: “The Conservative Party should think hard now. Under the leadership of Boris, the party is heading for an electoral disaster.
“No change means no chance in the upcoming election.”
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Conservative Defense Committee, warned: “Journeys to where Labor is heading against us must be reversed or we will lose the next general election.”
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He also warned against ignoring the loss of key London councils, saying: “We can’t claim to be a national party if we don’t have a local presence in the capital and that’s just fundamental.”
He said losing Wandsworth and Westminster councils was “a bit like losing your own aircraft carriers”.
The party is poised for Chief Officer Sue Gray’s report on rulebreaking in times of Covid – and the possibility of more fines.
Mr Ellwood said he doubted most of his colleagues were waiting for “a full judgment on whether our party has been damaged below the waterline or whether we can repair ourselves in time for the next general election”.
The Liberal Democrats’ success in winning new city councils is likely to be a cause for concern, particularly among conservative MPs in traditional party strongholds.
Lord Hayward, the Tory counterpart, the respected pollster, said: “Boris is injured but not out. But his losses to the Liberal Democrats will create long-term trouble because they will destabilize the Conservatives at heart.”
He added: “You have to look at the losses that have taken Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire… It’s basically upper-middle-class rebellion.”
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