Queen's Speech The Queen swept into the Lords today for one of the great rituals of British politics. Politics.co.uk was in the press gallery looking down at the massed ranks of Lords, Ladies and dignitaries all dressed in their finest. We counted twenty wigs, one bicorne, three gutras, a couple of fezes and several dozen tiaras.
There was something slightly surreal about watching the Queen and her entourage glittering in jewels as she announced a "one nation" programme of benefit cuts and strike bans. But the whole event was undeniably an impressive spectacle.
So what of the actual proposals beyond the ceremony? Most notable are the measures not contained within the speech. As we speculated yesterday, Tory proposals to scrap the Human Rights Act have been pole-vaulted into the long grass in anticipation of a major backbench rebellion. New proposals to reform the act or replace it with one broadly similar are still likely to be brought forward, but the radical plans outlined by the Tories before the election are unlikely to now see the light of day.
However, other radical measures have survived. Plans to impose new heavy restrictions on the right to strike have been trailed by the Conservatives for years. Previously opposed by the Liberal Democrats in coalition, the Conservatives now have the power to force them through. The result will be a set of measures that make the UK's strike laws some of the most draconian in Europe.
Just as radical are Theresa May's plans for the police. Proposals to extend the Freedom of Information Act to the Police Federation and to extend powers to investigate police misconduct will be welcomed by campaigners for police reform and bitterly opposed by many within the force. May's ongoing battle with the police could prove to be one of the big stories of the coming Parliament.
Little mentioned in the speech are the government's plans for immigration, asylum and detention. Today we take a look at the case of Rubel Ahmed who died in a detention centre last year. The investigation into his suicide suggests the government carries a significant amount of responsibility for his death. | 
