London (BBN)-David Cameron is telling the first all-Tory cabinet meeting for 18 years the Conservatives are “the real party of working people”.
The prime minister has assembled his new top team following his party’s general election victory.
He was due to say measures to boost employment and lower the welfare cap will be in the first Queen’s Speech, reports BBC.
A rise in free childcare for England’s pre-school children will also feature in a “blue-collar Conservative” agenda.
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David Cameron is completing the reshuffle by announcing a host of junior ministerial appointments. There are jobs for the 2010 intake of MPs including Rory Stewart, Caroline Dinenage, James Wharton and Tracey Crouch.
Chancellor George Osborne says the government has a “clear mandate” for its negotiations with the European Union amid fresh speculation about the timing of a future referendum on the UK’s membership
A cabinet minister say newspaper reports that the government is set to “go to war” with the BBC are “a bit over-excited”
Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb says he wants to rebuild trust in his party as he confirms he will run for the leadership
Labour’s election pollster said the party’s internal polls had presented a more “pessimistic scenario” than public surveys
Follow all the day’s twists, turns and developments with Politics Live
The Conservatives won a 12-seat majority in the House of Commons in Thursday’s election, taking 331 of the 650 seats.
At the cabinet meeting currently under way, Mr Cameron will urge his ministers to “give everyone in our country the chance to make the most of their life”, predicting his approach will be labelled “blue-collar Conservatism”.
His party will offer “the chance to get on”, he will say, “with the dignity of a job, the pride of a paycheque, a home of their own and the security and peace of mind that comes from being able to support a family”.
NEW CABINET FACES
Amber Rudd is Energy and Climate Change Secretary, while Anna Soubry and Priti Patel will attend cabinet as small business and employment ministers
Greg Hands is Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Veteran Tory MP John Whittingdale is Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Sajid Javid is Business Secretary
Robert Halfon is deputy chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister Without Portfolio
Grant Shapps has moved from party chairman to International Development Minister
Boris Johnson is not a minister but will attend separate Tory “political cabinet” meetings
WHO’S WHO: CAMERON’S NEW CABINETWHAT HAVE THE CONSERVATIVES PLEDGED TO DO?
The Conservatives say measures on work and childcare will be at the heart of their first legislative programme, due to be announced on 27 May, and will be “fast-tracked” through Parliament.
During the election campaign, Mr Cameron said the UK should aspire to “full employment”, which he defined as Britain having the highest percentage of people in work of any developed nation.
The employment bill will push for two million jobs and three million apprenticeships to be created over the next five years.
It will also lower the annual household welfare cap – the maximum amount that any household can receive in benefits – from £26,000 to £23,000.
Downing Street said this would “ensure people are always better off in work and there is an end to the something-for-nothing culture”.
A second bill will focus on childcare.
Currently, all three and four-year olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year, which works out as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year.
During the election campaign, the Conservatives promised 30 hours from 2017, saying this would result in more than 600,000 extra 15-hour free childcare places every year.
The PM will also promise to introduce tax-free childcare for every child.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said he would “look afresh” at aspects of employment law and regulations so that everything possible was being done to encourage free enterprise.
The government, he said, would also press ahead with changes to the rules on trade union strike ballots, so industrial action in essential public services would only be lawful if 40% of employees entitled to take part in a ballot actually voted.
“We have not hidden away from the changes we want to make,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today, adding that he also wanted to lift the ban on agency staff being used during walkouts. “I think it is essential we make these changes.”
On Europe, Mr Javid said a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU would definitely be held before the end of 2017 and the government would “provide more information over the coming weeks and months”.
Media reports have suggested the referendum could be brought forward to 2016 if the legislation needed to pave the way for the vote is passes quickly through Parliament and if negotiations with other EU leaders conclude earlier than expected.
Mr Cameron is putting the finishing touches to his government, by filling the ranks of junior ministerial positions. Among those to be given jobs include Ben Gummer, Damian Hinds and Justine Tomlinson, the latter becoming minister for disabled people.
Rory Stewart, the former diplomat who was chair of the Commons defence select committee, is to become a junior minister at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
