Read: Queen’s speech unveils Johnson’s plans on free speech, policing and voter ID

Boris Johnson’s government has unveiled plans for the coming parliament in a Queen’s speech that combined interventionist economics with openly populist moves in areas such as free speech, policing and voter ID.

Announcing the list of planned new bills in a relatively minimalist ceremony with only 74 people in the Lords chamber and much of the usual pomp pared back, the Queen began by saying the overall aim was to “level up opportunities” across the UK.

“My government’s priority is to deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before,” she said. “To achieve this, my government will level up opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom, supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth and addressing the impact of the pandemic on public services.”

Read the full story in The Guardian.

Established with input from businesses, universities, civil society, policymakers - including Members of Parliament - and regulators, the Levelling Up Goals aim to set out clear objectives for the UK's Levelling Up challenge in the wake of Covid-19.