Would-be citizens 'should do community work'
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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Community work should be made a part of the "contract" of becoming a British citizen, Chancellor Gordon Brown will say today.
He will use a seminar on Britishness to declare that citizenship ceremonies and language tests do not go far enough.
Mr Brown - widely expected to replace Tony Blair as Prime Minister this year - has highlighted the subject several times in recent months.
At a seminar this morning, he will say issues from Scottish nationalism to Muslim fundamentalism have contributed to questions of whether we need a "stronger sense of national purpose".
He will say: "Today we have a citizenship test: 24 questions on life in the UK that last for 45 minutes. We also have a citizenship ceremony.
"We will soon have a stronger citizenship element in the curriculum.
"But I believe when there is now so much mobility between nations and countries, when we feel strongly that being a British citizen is something to be proud of, then we should emphasise that citizenship is more than a test, more than a ceremony; it is a kind of contract between the citizen and the country, involving rights and responsibilities that will protect and enhance the British way of life. Citizenship means there are common rules and accepted standards.
"There is now an agreement with the proposition I made some time ago that, for new citizens, learning English should be a requirement. Citizens should have an understanding of our history and culture.
"But, in any national debate on the future of citizenship, it is also right to consider asking men and women seeking citizenship to undertake some community work in our communities - introducing them to a wider range of institutions and people in our country prior to enjoying the benefits of citizenship."
