Queen’s Speech: Jeremy Corbyn in ‘driverless car’ jibe at PM

Queen’s Speech: Jeremy Corbyn in ‘driverless car’ jibe at PM

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Jeremy Corbyn has likened the government to “a driverless car heading in the wrong direction”, in his response to the Queen’s Speech.

The Labour leader said the raft of new policies would not make society more equal or create opportunities for all.

He said the government failed to realise “cuts have consequences” as he attacked austerity as a “political choice not an economic necessity”.

Prison reform was the centrepiece of the government’s plans.

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The government has also said it will publish details of a British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act.

Mr Corbyn said Labour would oppose the plans, as he accused ministers of displaying a “worryingly authoritarian streak”.
‘Cuts have consequences’

In his first response to a Queen’s Speech as leader of the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said the legislative agenda put forward by the government failed to deliver a more equal society, an economy that worked for everyone and a society offering opportunity for all.

“Still this government does not seem to understand that cuts have their consequences,” he told the Commons.

Mr Corbyn – who was flanked by his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, and deputy leader Tom Watson – added: “This austerity is a political choice, not an economic necessity, and it’s a wrong choice for our country made by a government with the wrong priorities.”

Continuing his attack on the government, the Labour leader said it had missed its fiscal targets and failed on productivity and rebalancing the economy.

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