Ban on letting agent fees confirmed in Queen's Speech

The speech delivered by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament has now plunged the visit into even more uncertainty since her official plans for the year does not include a visit by the US President.

On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II addressed Parliament claiming she will handle discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

"Labour is not merely an opposition".

As protesters marched on the prime minister's residence in what they called a "day of rage" - a demonstration against perceived malfeasance and government inaction - the queen announced a Conservative plan to launch a "full public inquiry into the tragic fire" in order to "ascertain the causes, and ensure that the appropriate lessons are learnt". Four militant attacks have raised questions about her grip on national security, and the death of at least 79 people in a tower block fire has become a flashpoint for public anger at her party's record in government. This could be the fault line where the prime minister's authority in the House crumbles.

Prime Minister Disraeli always argued that British monarch and citizens were united by common bonds of patriotism — “when in the anxious conjuncture of public affairs, the nation rallies round. the Throne” — and both equally thwarted by self-interested elites who “endeavored to substitute cosmopolitan for national principles.” Its a suitable formulation for today, when Elizabeth and her people stand, in Brexit, for their ancient rights and prerogatives.

She said her government would seek "to build the widest possible consensus on the country's future outside the European Union", amid divisions within May's own cabinet over the best strategy.

Turning to the substance, the legislative agenda advanced in the 2017 Queen's Speech, comprising some 27 bills and draft bills, was also unusual in two ways.

In other respects, her speech - which is shaped by the governing party's priorities - was notable for what it left out entirely.

Also absent were key pledges the Conservatives had given in their manifesto for the recent election which analysts said had bombed with the electorate - such as reform of social care for the elderly and more shake-ups in schools.

There was no mention too of May's controversial promise to allow a parliamentary vote to repeal a ban on fox hunting, which angered left-wingers.

"I don't know what the odds are, but it must be overwhelmingly likely Jeremy Corbyn, my friend, is soon going to be the Prime Minister of Britain".

Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum past year but there is growing opposition to the government's "hard Brexit" approach of cutting immigration at the expense of trade ties.

The scaled down version, minus the usual royal procession and pageantry, is a result of the rushed preparations following the snap general election earlier this month that saw May's Conservative Party failing to garner a majority in the House of Commons.

The point is that Internet companies, including the American tech giants, can expect to receive a code of conduct over the next two years setting out what the government believes is a responsible way to behave.

May has resisted calls to resign and is hoping for the support of the DUP's 10 MPs to boost her tally of 317 seats in the 650-seat parliament, but a deal has proved elusive so far. The immensity of the challenge of legislating for Brexit has been much discussed since the Conservatives failed to win an overall majority on 8 June 2017, including by us on our our blog "Will legislating for Brexit be nearly as testing for the new minority government as the forthcoming negotiations?" .

Conservative sources said talks with the DUP were "ongoing" after the Northern Irish party warned its support can not be "taken for granted".

But even with DUP backing, the government would command only a tiny majority, and just a few rebel MPs could be enough to undermine it fatally.