Sore loser! Social media has a ball with spectacle of a stony-faced Jeremy Corbyn enduring walk of shame beside wolfish Boris Johnson to hear the Queen’s Speech
- Mr Corbyn endured the short trip from the Commons to the Lords this morning
- He walked silently alongside a very chipper looking Prime Minister
- Came less than a week after Mr Johnson won an 80-seat majority in the election
- Mr Corbyn announced he would quit as Labour leader in the new year
Jeremy Corbyn struck a pose of cold fury today as the lame duck Labour leader was forced to walk to the Lords beside a grinning Boris Johnson to hear the Queen’s Speech.
Mr Corbyn endured the short trip from the Commons to the Lords this morning alongside the happy Prime Minister in stony silence, less than a week after his party was humiliated at the polls.
Mr Corbyn has been noted for regularly not speaking to the Conservative leader of the day as they walk side by side for the parliamentary spectacle, despite their efforts to make small talk.
And after he handed Mr Johnson a majority of 80- last week – and subsequently announcing he would quit as leader in the new year – Mr Corbyn looked especially humourless today.
Mr Corbyn endured the short trip from the Commons to the Lords alongside the happy Prime Minister in stony silence, less than a week after his party was humiliated at the polls
Mr Corbyn has been noted for regularly not speaking to the Conservative leader of the day as they walk side by side for the parliamentary spectacle, despite their efforts to make small talk.
Mr Corbyn was joined by a similarly downbeat-looking Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, in the House of Lords
Mr Johnson vowed to ‘take Britain forward’ today (pictured) as the Queen’s Speech unveiled his 10-year plan to seize the benefits of Brexit
At October’s State Opening of Parliament Mr Corbyn made little attempt to engage with his Tory rival (pictured)
The Queen set out the government’s agenda in a scaled back ceremony in the House of Lords, without the usual pomp and ceremony.
It was the second time she had made the trip from Buckingham in two months, but the context could hardly be more different, with Mr Johnson having secured a huge 80-strong majority in the election rout.
There was an element of deja vu in today’s sideshow as it mirrored what happened at the last State Opening of Parliament in October.
Then, the usually gregarious Prime Minister attempted to strike up a conversation with Mr Corbyn as he and the left-wing leader led MPs to the House of Lords.
But while Mr Corbyn had a warm greeting for Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, he made little attempt to engage with his Tory rival.
They walked in uncomfortable near-silence through the lobby separating the two chambers, at the head of a column of politicians.
Mr Johnson vowed to ‘take Britain forward’ today as the Queen’s Speech unveiled his 10-year plan to harness the benefits of Brexit.
Hitting the ground running after his bombshell election victory, the PM warned there is ‘no time to waste’ as he laid out a blizzard of legislation – from an NHS funding bonanza to a new immigration system.
Police numbers will be bolstered by 20,000, stop and search powers beefed up to help tackle knife crime, and terrorists will lose rights to early release as ministers crack down on crime.
There are also moves to drive house-building, and make the market fairer – a key demand for younger voters – including offering 30 per cent discounts for people buying properties in the area where they grew up.
In a nod to the working-class voters in Leave-leaning seats whose support was critical to the defeat of Labour, Mr Johnson said the ‘ambitious’ package would ‘spread opportunity to every corner of our United Kingdom’.
Setting out his vision for two terms in power, Mr Johnson said his first priority would be getting Brexit secured by passing his divorce deal.
But he made clear the Tory project would go much wider. ‘This is a radical Queen’s Speech – it will take us out of the EU, overhaul our immigration system, and will enshrine in law record investment for the NHS,’ Mr Johnson said in a foreword.
‘Just imagine where this country could be in 10 years’ time.’