Gems from the Queen’s Speech
Some snippets from the Queen’s speech at the opening of Parliament, Tuesday 17 May 2005.
‘The Duke of Edinburgh and I look forward to our visit to Canada later today and to our state visit to Malta in November which precedes the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.’
That’s funny. I thought it preceded December.
‘If London is selected to host the 2012 Olympic Games, legislation will be introduced as soon as possible to establish the necessary powers to ensure the delivery of the Games.’
Delivery? Of the Olympic Games? By FedEx, or the Royal Mail?
‘My government will continue … to support better standards of governance throughout the world.’
Starting here, we hope. And surely we can aim higher than this? What about the rest of the universe?
‘my government will continue to pursue economic policies which entrench stability’
‘Entrench’ stability? So that it will take a two-thirds majority to destabilise us?
‘My government will continue to play its full part in international affairs.’
If that doesn’t get us worried, nothing will. Don’t they ever learn?
More seriously:
‘Proposals will be brought forward to continue the fight against terrorism in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.’
‘Proposals’, apparently as distinct from ‘legislation’, the term used in the Speech on other subjects where new Bills are foreshadowed (45 of them plus 5 draft Bills!). What has happened to the home secretary’s and the Lord Chancellor’s promises in parliament on 10 March 05, to get themselves out of the impasse over the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (now Act), introducing ‘control orders’, when the House of Commons repeatedly rejected amendments sent to it from the House of Lords, that in the late autumn of 2005 the government would publish yet another draft anti-terrorism Bill for public discussion and parliamentary scrutiny and that this would provide an opportunity to amend, even repeal, the control orders legislation?
But there’s a rumour going about that the Queen didn’t write the speech – it was Tony Blair! What a rascal!
From Peter Harvey.
‘The Duke of Edinburgh and I look forward to our visit to Canada later today and to our state visit to Malta in November, which precedes the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.’
What’s the problem? Or spot the difference. What a difference a comma can make!
‘my government will continue to pursue economic policies which entrench stability’
According to the COD entrench means:
‘establish so firmly that change is difficult.’
It would seem that in the case of stability the use of the word is tautologous.