Queen’s Speech

Baroness Bertin Excerpts

Wednesday 21st June 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bertin (Con)]

My Lords, I beg to second my noble friend’s Motion for an humble Address.

My noble friend Lady Goldie reflected last year that it feels somewhat strange to say “an humble Address”—but then so, too, does not shaking a Peer’s hand when you first meet them and still saying “good morning” when it is two in the afternoon. I cannot pretend that I understand these eccentricities, but I am beginning to get used to them.

It is a great honour—and something of a surprise—to be speaking here today. I am still at that early stage in this place when receiving a note from the Chief Whip saying that he would like a word does not necessarily mean a good thing. It is only a few months since I was speedily ushered out of this Chamber and shown to the officials’ Box, where I sat for some time not wanting to cause a scene. Our doorkeepers are wonderful, but they are quite right to be security conscious. I do not think anyone had told them that Peers, rather like policemen, are getting younger these days.

Today, as you can see, I have written my speech on paper. I considered goatskin parchment, but then remembered that I was meant to be a moderniser. Some noble Lords may know that I was David Cameron’s press secretary—and, while I have huge admiration for my former boss, it is fair to say that he gave me one or two PR challenges over the years. However, faced with an unforeseen delay to the Queen’s Speech, I do not think that even I could have come up with “slow-drying ink on vellum”. I have to hand it to my successors in No. 10 for that stroke of genius.

I am sure the whole House will join me in praising my noble friend Lord Forsyth for his speech, which was full of eloquence, passion and wit. He is a very daunting act to follow. I second so much of what he said, particularly his support for our PM. Not only is he a great speaker, he is also a great public servant, and it is about public service that I will speak briefly today. We in this country have a culture of public service of which we can be proud. We have seen this brought into sharp focus over recent months in a series of terrible tragedies: Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge, Borough Market, Grenfell Tower and Finsbury Park Mosque. We have seen police officers risk their lives to disarm terrorists. PC Palmer did not just risk his life; he gave it.

I considered joining the police force after university and still sometimes wonder whether I should have—but I also wonder whether I would have had the necessary courage. Just a week ago we saw firefighters run into a burning tower: for all they knew, one that was about to collapse. A relative of one of the survivors yesterday spoke about how he saw firemen who cared so much more for the people in that building than for themselves. Let us not forget also the general public: the diverse communities in north Kensington working together to help those so hideously affected by the fire; a community’s determination in Finsbury Park to fight hate, showing that, overwhelmingly, people want love and kindness to overcome division; and, over and again, the sheer bravery of the man and the woman in the street. We have seen that this country has courage and decency at its core.

We have also seen this strong thread of public service shared by people of every age, background, ethnicity, religion and gender. This ethos is above party politics and should encourage political opponents to respect each other as decent human beings who go into public life to make the country better, even if they disagree on the route. At times of national importance, such as now, we need to face down divisions rather than inflame them.

I will share two thoughts. First, Brexit is not our only challenge and it must not be allowed to suck the energy from the other huge problems that we face as a country and as a society. Secondly, there are areas, including Brexit, where we are divided, but we must do all we can to heal conflict and seek to achieve consensus. There can be no greater figures of national unity or greater public servants than Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip. They have been, and remain, the mother and father of all public servants. Their contribution is immeasurable; we owe them so much. I hope that Prince Philip has a speedy recovery and that the Queen was on time for the 2.30 and had some winners.

Politics matter: not the ideology or the colour of your team, but the practical good of what your policies do for people. I feel sure that this gracious Speech will stand out as doing exactly that. Setting aside the Brexit colossus, important areas are covered in the speech, such as mental health and discrimination, where we have an opportunity to improve many people’s lives and also nourish society as a whole. I am particularly pleased to see a reference to disability discrimination. I have spoken before in this House of my own experience of disability. My little brother had severe cerebral palsy. Sadly, he did not quite reach adulthood, but I remember how concerned we as a family were that his life post his 18th birthday should be rich and fulfilled. It is therefore important that we use this Session to try to bring an end to the inequality faced by many disabled people hoping to find work. There is a mountain of evidence showing that employing disabled people is good not only for society but for business. It is not just an act of sympathy but makes good commercial sense.

I also welcome a draft Bill on domestic abuse. According to the ONS, seven women a month are killed by a current or former partner. I think we can all agree that this is a shocking statistic that has no place in a civilised society.

The security services and police do a magnificent job in their enormous task of keeping us safe. I welcome the announcement in the gracious Speech of the review of the Government’s counterterrorism strategy to ensure that they have all the powers they need.

This longer Session will be full of challenges. Parliament and all those in it will need to be resilient, resourceful and diligent as never before. However, I will end on a positive note, with something said by the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury in your Lordships’ House not so long ago, expressing a view with which I profoundly agree. He said that this country is “deeply embedded” with a,

“sense of destiny and of hope. We can catch hold of that hope and be that agile, flourishing and entrepreneurial society that will benefit both the poorest and richest”.—[Official Report, 5/7/16; col. 1861.]

In this spirit, I beg to second the Motion.

Motion to Adjourn

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