Planning

It took until this morning for the BBC to hint that there was a theme to the Queen's Speech worth reporting.  Last night, Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg was detached to interview Angela Rayner, as if it mattered. 

This morning former Political Editor Nick Robinson was the first I heard to put some of the Trumpian elements of the administration's plans together - the move on 'free speech' at universities; the end of fixed term parliaments; and the move to photo-id requirements, for voting.  

He could have added moves to stop public bodies who 'divest or boycott' out of line with Foreign Office strategy; moves to give expats the vote for life, not just 15 years; the moves to 'rebalance' the powers of the courts and the legislature, and narrow the terms of judicial review; the planning reforms that are more about keeping Conservative-supporting construction firms happy than providing affordable housing; and the new rules on acceptable routes for asylum seekers. 

When asked about levelling-up, Ministers, unchallenged, pointed to new adult education reforms. 

This Government is about hanging on to power. Boris and Carrie want to be out of that flat and earning real money before Wilf starts prep school, in 2027. Bet on an election in 2023.