State opening was like Groundhog Day - Gidley

2.00.00pm GMT Wed 18th Nov 2009

Sandra Gidley MP

Commenting today on the Queen's speech and the state opening of Parliament, Hampshire MP Sandra Gidley said:

"This year's Queen's speech was a political charade that should have been dropped in favour of an emergency programme of political reform.

"I certainly can't imagine that Her Majesty enjoyed the occasion, having to go through all the unnecessary pomp and ceremony only to read out a summary of the next Labour Party manifesto.

"This was a Groundhog Day speech, full of gimmicks and promises from a government that has fundamentally failed to deliver on big issues over 12 long years - social care, education, climate change, anti-social behaviour and child poverty.

"Given that the country was in such a mess when Labour came to power in 1997, isn't it time to try a Liberal Democrat alternative?"