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Madame Fu Ying

So that’s it, then. The Guards paraded, HM trundled down the Mall in her State Landau or some such, fanfares were sounded, men in tights walked backwards, ancient ermine was dusted off for its annual outing; becrowned and bejewelled Her Majesty swept into the Lords Chamber, The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and all the Colonies, Mr Jack Straw (for by some quirk of our constitution it is he) shambled forward, handed over a classic piece of new Labour drivel, and Her Majesty dutifully read it out without so much as a snigger.

It was the shortest and most insignificant Queen’s Speech that anyone can remember, and of course with an election required by law by next June, almost none of it is likely to become law, which is just as well, since some of it, like the perfectly laudable free healthcare at home for all our elderly would of course cost a fortune and is wholly unfunded. It’s the worst kind of pre-election promise, which anyone who has even contemplated the vast debt mountain we are facing knows we simply cannot afford, no matter how worthwhile it may be.

But leaving aside the politics, there is one Constitutional matter that concerns me. Two of the bills- that about abolishing child poverty and another about halving our national debt are both perfectly good ambitions. But are they really matters for the law of the land? What happens if in ten years time child poverty is still with us. (And it being a subjective matter it is very –probable that sadly enough it will be), then who pays a penalty? Does the PM go to prison for non-achievement of a previous government’s target? Of course not. Does the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pay a personal fine? “Nuffink to do with me, Guv,” I can just hear him say. These are not matters for the law. They are matters for a Party’s manifesto, which they then must deliver as an Administration, or if they fail to do so they pay a price at the ballot box in a subsequent General Election.

These bills are used quite improperly to do two things: - to make it sound as if the Government are really determined to do something; and to escape the real blame if they fail to achieve it.

One vignette amused me after the State Opening. One of the officials of the Queens Household is none other than my elder brother Charles, who, as Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps gets to wear a magnificent uniform, cocked hat, sword et al. So I went down to the Lords to see him after it was all over, and fell into conversation with Madam Fu Ying, the Chinese Ambassador and he. A lengthy chat about Tibet and other matters meant that she was late for drinks with the Lord Speaker. “Never mind,” quoth I,” I know this place like the back of my hand. I’ll escort you up to the Lord Speaker’s House,” and off we set. But the staircases, quads, corridors and rooms above the Lords are an absolute maze, and we were totally lost in seconds. “Her Excellency the Chinese Ambassador and North Wilts MP lost forever in corridors above House of Lords.” There’s a good headline for the Gazette. Thankfully, the noise of conversation eventually attracted us to the right part of the Palace and I was able to discharge my diplomatic duties. Phew!

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