UK Parliament reopens with Queen's speech
LONDON-Anadolu Agency
The British Parliament on Dec. 19 resumed sittings following last week's early general election that resulted with a landslide victory for the Conservative Party.
Queen Elizabeth II delivered the program of the Boris Johnson government in the House of Lords, opening the Parliament formally with her speech.
Her speech included pledged policies on crime, health, the environment and Brexit. Also mentioning a new point-based immigration system, the Queen said the new system to be implemented will attract talented workers.
The Queen said the government's priority is delivering the departure of the country from the EU on Jan. 31, 2020.
The government program has a commitment to spend an extra £33 billion-plus every year on the country's National Health Service (NHS) by 2023-24.
The government will commit to maintain EU rights on employment after Brexit, which is due on Jan. 31, 2020. They will not be part of the withdrawal agreement but be laid out in separate legislation, according to the Queen's speech.
The revised withdrawal agreement Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed with the EU before the election, will be coming to the House of Commons on Friday and it is likely to be amended to ban any extension to the transition period, which will run between Jan. 31 and Dec. 31 next year.
The transition period agreed between the parties can be extended under the current bill beyond 2020.
The Queen's speech is a ceremonial formal opening of the both houses of the parliament and Dec. 19's speech was the second in 2019.
The U.K. decided to leave the EU with a referendum held in June 2016.
