Harriet Harman, Labour's Acting Leader, has pledged that Labour won't pull its punches in opposition, but will be powerful in the public interest.
In a wide-ranging reply to the Queen's Speech, which set out the ConDems' programme of 21 Bills, she promised that:
"We will be determined - to prevent unfairness"
"We will speak up - for the public services that matter"
"We will be vigilant - protecting jobs and businesses"
On the economy, she went on:
"The new Government takes over an economy in which recovery is already underway and where government action has blunted the impact of the recession."
"Economic growth has returned."
"There are too many people out of work but unemployment is still half the level seen in the 1990's recession."
"And repossessions have been at half the rate that people suffered then."
"But the recovery cannot be taken for granted."
"The challenge now for the government is to embed and secure the economic recovery with new manufacturing and an even greater role for the low carbon sector."
"Where the Government takes steps to do that, we will back them. But taking support away from businesses risks slower growth for the future. As the new Business Secretary consistently argued, before taking up his new post, now is not the time for leaving firms to sink or swim."
"We all agree with cutting waste. But cancelling 10,000 university places is not cutting waste; it's cutting our capacity for future economic growth. Cancelling 40,000 jobs for young people under the Future Jobs Fund is not cutting waste; it's blighting their prospects."
"The country does face a very serious challenge to reduce our deficit."
"What the country needs to know is that the Government will do that in a in a fair way; without damaging frontline services; and, without putting future growth at risk."
"And the country will want to see that it is not they who are left bearing the cost of holding the coalition together."
"Before the election, the leader of the Tory party - now the Prime Minister was telling us all that the Lib/Dem promises were simply unaffordable."
"At the very same time the Lib/Dem leader now his deputy - warned that the Tories' tax and spending promises could only be paid for by increasing VAT or cutting frontline services."
"It's the combination of the two of them that worries me."
"While the happy couple are enjoying the thrill of the rose garden the in-laws are saying that they are just not right for each other."
"We keep telling them you can't pay couples to stay together. It is clear that it will take more than £3 a week tax break to keep this marriage together."
"Tough decisions will be needed. And the British public will need to see that those decisions are taken fairly, and taken transparently."
After touching on a wide range of issues across the political spectrum, domestic and foreign Ms Harman concluded:
"Our new team in opposition - our front bench and our backbenches - include wisdom, experience, youth and diversity - With more Labour women and Black and Asian Members than the rest of the House put together"
"The new government has a great privilege and a heavy duty."
"They have said they stand for freedom, fairness, and responsibility. These are principles with which the whole country would agree. And we will make sure they live up to them."
The full speech can be found here
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