Police will be given extensive new powers to stop Extinction Rebellion style protests and the mission to 'level up' the country will be inked onto the statute book, as part of a wide-ranging package of new laws in the Queen's Speech.
The speech, which marks the state opening of Parliament, will feature 38 pieces of legislation designed to reset the Government and convince Conservative MPs that Boris Johnson is on the right track.
A bill being overseen by Michael Gove is intended to write “levelling up” plans into law and will put a legal duty on the Government to report its progress on various metrics of inequality between different parts of the UK.
However it was announced on Monday that the Queen will no longer attend Parliament after speaking to her doctors. Instead, Prince Charles and Prince William will attend the ceremony.
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The speech is also expected to include a number of new measures to "address the cost of living crisis" and "help to create the conditions for more people to have high-wage, high-skill jobs".
Mr Johnson, speaking ahead of Tuesday's set-piece speech, said: "This Queen’s Speech will get our country back on track, and I will strive – and this Government will strive – night and day to deliver it.
"Because in spite of everything we have been through, we are going to ensure that over the two years we have left in this parliament, we spend every second uniting and levelling up this country, exactly as we said we would.”
He added: "We will get the country through the aftershocks of Covid, just as we got through Covid, with every ounce of ingenuity and compassion and hard work.
"By urgently pressing on with our mission to create the high wage, high skilled jobs that will drive economic growth across our whole United Kingdom.
"That is the long-term, sustainable solution to ease the burden on families and businesses.”
To ensure the British public can "go about their lives without disruption from guerrilla protest", as seen by Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, the Queen’s Speech is expected to announce new criminal offences of ‘locking-on'.
There will also be the creation of a new criminal offence of interfering with key national infrastructure, such as airports, railways and printing presses - carrying a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The law-abiding, responsible majority have had enough of anti-social, disruptive protests carried out by a self-indulgent minority who seem to revel in causing mayhem and misery for the rest of us.
“The Public Order Bill will give the police the powers they need to clamp down on this outrageous behaviour and ensure the British public can go about their lives without disruption.”
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