THE scale of Britain's political revolution came home yesterday as Mr Tony Blair's government unveiled its radical programme for the first session of the new British parliament.
The prime minister promised to govern for "the whole nation" as the Labour Party delivered its first queen's speech in almost 20 years.
Surrounded by all the glorious trappings of the old Tudor Court, Queen Elizabeth outlined her new government's 22 Bill programme for a dramatic change of direction after 18 years of Conservative rule. Amid all the pomp and ceremony, Mr Blair and his wife Cherie staged a personal coup, reinforcing the message of radical change.
As the Irish State Coach carried the queen to the Palace of Westminster, Mr and Mrs Blair stole a populist march - walking from Number 10 to the delight of tourists and well wishers.
Education, law and order and devolution will dominate much of the first Commons session. Downing Street last night confirmed that the legislation providing for referendums on the proposed Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly would be published today.
Pressed by SNP leader Mr Alex Salmond, Mr Blair confirmed that the devolution Bills themselves would be published before the referendums take place, possibly as early as September. He also confirmed to the Rev Ian Paisley that the outcome of the talks process would be put to the people of Northern Ireland in a referendum.
Looking for progress in the talks process due to resume on June 3rd, Mr Blair said: "It would obviously be better if they could proceed in a climate of peace and include all parties," but, he added: "That depends on an unequivocal IRA ceasefire. Sinn Fein must move away from violence and embrace once and for all peaceful methods and the democratic process.
Mr Blair said the public's worries about health, education, jobs and crime were at the heart of his government's programme. It represented, he said, the "alliance of progress and justice, too long absent from British politics under Conservative government".
Acknowledging that Mr Blair had won a mandate for his programme, the leader of the opposition, Mr John Major, nonetheless warned the government against disregarding parliament and criticised the swift decision to give the Bank of England independent control of interest rates.
A new Bank of England Bill will provide for the bank's accountability and establish a new monetary framework. In addition to Bills presaging a national minimum wage and giving small businesses statutory right to claim interest on late payments, the Finance Bill will enact the first budget of the new Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown, now expected next month.
Its key feature will be the windfall tax on the privatised utilities to fund the "welfare to work" plan to take 250,000 young people into job training.
A crime and disorder Bill will implement Labour's plans to speed up the punishment of young offenders; give courts new sentencing powers; extend the ban on private possession of firearms to small calibre weapons and reverse the burden of proof on defendants in criminal cases involving children aged 10 to 13.
Other Bills will pave the way for a referendum on the creation of a new London authority and an elected mayor for the capital; the ending of the "internal market" in the NHS; the staged incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law and the release of proceeds from the sale of council houses to fund a new public housebuilding programme.