Britain's Queen Elizabeth II addressed the nation last week during the opening session of the British Parliament in a speech that I believe was a model in transparency, accuracy and clarity. I listened to the Queen's Speech and it was really a lesson in how leaders should express themselves, their aspirations, and their government's plan truly in an audacious manner, despite the fact that the queen is 93. Her words were clear and audible to all.
The speech came after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, from the Conservative Party, won snap elections held last week. Here is what I liked about the queen's speech and why. The speech was a specific work agenda and not just wishful thinking or promises or accusations or rhetoric without meaning. The other thing is that the queen, who is a constitutional monarch running the country through an elected government, defined a program to help the United Kingdom cross over to safety at this stage to implement the exit from the European Union and take advantage of the opportunities resulting from the exit. That I trust is the wise thing to do.
The queen also said in her speech that the government wants to negotiate liberal trade agreements after leaving the European Union. I think this attitude is normal to strengthen the British economy and maintain its durability and stability.
Another important observation that was made by Queen Elizabeth in her speech was talk about local reforms. I think it is rare to see a leader today who is interested in achieving reforms for their country for the interest of the people, as the focus is often on government figures and officials, so people usually come last.
It is known that the priorities of any people in the world are often to improve health and the quality of education, so the queen's speech came to determine the importance of strengthening health sector financing through a commitment to an annual increase of £33.9 billion ($44.4 billion) for the health sector until 2024. That indeed is an excellent direction.
In Dec 2019, His Eminence Sheikh Al-Azhar called on governments around the world to pay attention to the mental health of citizens as a global human and development priority in order to preserve the human being and exploit them in production, work and community participation. There is no doubt that focusing on health is the right option always.
The UK also remains a primary destination for asylum seekers, so it is important to develop a modern and fair immigration system to welcome skilled migrants who are capable to contribute to the economy and public services in the United Kingdom, and this is what I believe will regulate the issue of immigration. No country can be isolated from this issue today, but the immigration process must be regulated and focus on skilled workers that can benefit the country and away from sectarianism, intellectual militancy and terrorism.
Britain's House of Commons has endorsed Johnson's plan to exit the country from the European Union (Brexit) by the end of Jan 2020. I think that the British government faces real challenges, but I hope that most of them will be tackled, and the queen's speech is a lesson to be learned.