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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Presented by Tom Clark and Allegra Stratton and produced by Francesca Panetta

Politics Weekly podcast: Queen's speech

The Queen's speech might have been just seven minutes long, but we devote a whole 21 minutes of this week's show to it. And not just what was in it but also what wasn't in it.

David Cameron criticised Gordon Brown for not incorporating Christopher Kelly's reforms on MPs' expenses. Michael White thinks is was at least politically naïve of Brown.

Polly Toynbee gives her reaction to the speech. She think the government was foolish to promise that they would cut the deficit in four years, but that it had good practical things in it that people will like to hear – such as one-to-one tuition, free social care at home. However, the problem is that as a government with the polls against you and an election looming it is hard for Labour to be heard.

Martin Kettle says the target era has come to an end, and putting guaranteed entitlements on the statute book could prove an interesting alternative.

Madeleine Bunting is horrified – she can't bear all the legal language in the speech and thinks there is something profoundly wrong in bringing law in to all aspects of life.

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