THE SNP and Labour have called on embattled Theresa May to end austerity when her minority government’s programme is set out in the Queen’s Speech in Westminster today.

The interventions from the opposition parities come as the Prime Minister’s grip on power looks increasing fragile following her failure to make a deal with the DUP allowing her to govern.

Senior DUP sources said yesterday the negotiations with the Conservatives “haven’t proceeded the way we would have expected” and that the party “can’t be taken for granted” in the ongoing discussions.

A week on from being elected as the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford said this morning's Queen’s Speech must demonstrate a commitment to ending austerity and an intention to deliver a soft Brexit.

“Today’s Queen’s Speech should be the opportunity for the Tories – now in a minority government – to show a commitment to ending austerity which has failed, and to deliver a soft Brexit by committing to stay in the single market,” Blackford said.

“The Tories’ election disaster shows they have no mandate for a hard Brexit and yet it looks like they are going to be the bogged down in their own Brexit mess.

“The SNP group of MPs will press the UK Government to give genuine consideration to our plans on Brexit. If Scotland is to be dragged out of the EU against our will, we will continue to demand that our place is protected within the single market.

“Another parliament of Tory cuts is a political choice – not a necessity – and one that has been rejected by voters.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale challenged May to use the Queen’s Speech to abandon austerity, reverse cuts to social security, and invest in public services.

Dugdale said the Tories’ failure to win a parliamentary majority meant they have no mandate to implement their pro-austerity manifesto, and that further cuts to social security are morally unacceptable and must be abandoned.

She wants the Tories to reverse further planned cuts to social security, which would see Scotland lose more than £1 billion in social security payments by 2020/21 and make a firm commitment to end austerity and protect day-to-day spending in Scotland, which is due to fall by a further £1 billion by 2019-20.

Dugdale is also calling for VAT exemptions to Scotland’s police and fire services and more support for the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Usually the Queen’s Speech sets out the government’s proposals the following 12 months, but today’s will announce the agenda for two years after the government cancelled next year’s speech to allow more parliamentary time for Brexit related legislation.

Many believe May is likely to ditch many of the controversial policies in her election manifesto such as means-testing the winter fuel payment for pensioners after the loss of her Commons majority substantially weakened her authority.

Plans to drop the triple lock on pensions and social care reforms, under which care costs would be recouped from a person’s assets after death up to a £100,000 ceiling, are likely to fall by the way side.

Other policies that will probably be dropped include repealing the fox hunting ban and introducing a new wave of grammar schools, which has provoked anger among some of her own backbenchers.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted his fight to take the keys to No 10 “is still on” and has said he will push it “all the way” in his effort to defeat the government when MPs vote on the Queen’s Speech next week.

May needs to secure 320 votes for the programme to pass. With the support of the DUP’s 10 MPs and all of her MPs, the PM would have 326 votes.

Yesterday it emerged a space flight bill is to be included in the Queen’s Speech that could see Scotland become “a thriving hub” for the industry.

New powers would lead to the launch of satellites from the UK for the first time, horizontal flights to the edge of space for scientific experiments, and the creation of spaceports across the UK.

A number of Scottish sites have expressed an interest in the project, including Prestwick, Machrihanish and Stornoway.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “This new legislation on space ports will be a giant leap forward for Scotland’s ambitious space and satellite sector. It will give each of our potential spaceports a fantastic opportunity to establish Scotland as a thriving hub for commercial spaceflight. By capitalising on our existing scientific expertise, a Scottish spaceport would create new, skilled jobs and drive economic growth.”

More than 38,000 jobs rely on the UK’s space industry, which is worth £13.7 billion to the economy.

The global market for launching satellites is estimated to be £25bn over the next 20 years.