David Cameron expected to use Queen’s speech to try to heal Tory in-fighting

David Cameron will today try to galvanise his party behind the Government’s “One Nation” Queen’s speech as focus takes a rare turn away from the EU referendum.

Launching the Government’s legislative agenda for the parliamentary year this morning, the Queen is expected to set out plans to speed up adoption, tackle extremism and accelerate the roll-out of high-speed broadband to remote communities in the UK.

There will also be plans to reform prisons with prison governors will be granted an unprecedented set of new powers.

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According to The Financial Times, the Queen’s speech will include measures to implement proposals made at the Budget in March, such as the creation of a sugar tax.

Today’s event comes amid a tumultuous time for the Conservative party, as MPs on opposing sides of the EU debate trade blows ahead of the vote on 23 June.

Lord Lansley, former Commons Leader, warned that the Queen’s Speech is being overshadowed by the referendum, which itself is creating "a very large uncertainty" for the parliamentary programme.

"If there were a Brexit vote, not immediately but certainly in the latter part of the parliament, we would be completely absorbed with trying to manage the legislative consequences of that which would be monstrous to think about," he said.

Chancellor George Osborne’s March Budget came in for strong criticism, with plans to cut disability benefits and measures to force all schools to be academies by 2022 unravelling under resistance from across the Commons benches.

Cameron reportedly hopes that the Government’s legislative agenda can unify the Tories after the referendum.

“This is a One Nation Queen’s Speech from a One Nation government,” he will say.

“It sets out a clear programme of social reform, so we break down the barriers to opportunity and extend life chances to all.”