Conservatives delay scrapping of HRA

The Prime Minister has delayed plans to scrap the Human Rights Act and only raised as major issues Scottish devolution and EU membership in his first Queen’s speech.

David Cameron has been under fire from opposition parties, his own backbenchers and members of the judiciary over the Conservative manifesto pledge to get rid of the Human Rights Act and replace it with a “British Bill of Rights”.

However, there will now be a consultation on the issue rather than a draft law owing in part to the Conservatives’ majority of only 12 in the House of Commons.

The central plank of Mr Cameron’s speech was the promise of a referendum on the UK’s EU membership by the end of 2017.

In addition, the Prime Minister discussed legislation including further devolution to Scotland, a ban on legal highs, a counter-terrorism bill and reform to strike laws requiring a higher turnout of union members.