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Labour piles on pressure to topple May as Tories’ Queen’s speech fiasco looms

Corbyn lays groundwork with alternative Queen’s Speech

LABOUR will put Theresa May’s coalition of chaos on the rocks today as the party seeks to defeat the government in a series of amendments to the Queen’s Speech.

The Tories’ programme for government was falling apart last night as it emerged that a raft of key manifesto pledges would be ditched.

The latest policy to get the chop was the planned withdrawal of free school lunches — which had prompted ire among Tory voters across England.

Pension changes, means-testing winter fuel payments and a beefed-up fracking industry are all off the agenda too, according to reports.

The government was humiliated yesterday as the DUP warned the Tory Party its support should not be “taken for granted,” implying talks are not going well. The Northern Irish extremists also attacked a “lack of negotiating experience” from the Conservatives — damning with Brexit talks under way.

Opposition politicians are likely to put amendments to the Commons including a right for tenants to demand protection from the risk of fire.

Another could ensure hundreds of millions of pounds in extra funding for the NHS, while some MPs could demand the Irish border remains free from controls after Brexit.

Scottish TUC leader Grahame Smith urged the opposition to “work together” to repeal anti-strike laws as a priority.

“Labour and the SNP are committed to repealing the Trade Union Act, something which should also gain support from the other opposition parties,” he said.

“It is essential that unions are given the opportunity to organise in many more workplaces. Too many employers exploit the absence of a union to apply appalling work practices that degrade workers, undermine the quality of work, and create poverty for many across the country.”

NUT general secretary Kevin Courtney said the government’s programme must address the “major problem with school funding” that prompted large numbers of parents to turn away from the Tories in the election.

“This matter cannot wait — unless the government acts now, class sizes will be higher and fewer subjects will be taught in September,” he said.

“Theresa May must be in no doubt that our campaign to ensure all our schools and colleges have the funding they need will continue if not addressed in this Queen’s Speech.”

Ms May has cancelled next year’s Queen’s Speech, saying this will give MPs more time to debate legal changes around Britain’s departure from the European Union.

At the weekend, Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said the government was “absolutely not” cancelling the to-do out of fear its programme could be defeated next year.

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