Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, Sajid Javid, recently agreed with Louise Casey’s recommendations of an oath of integration being introduced not just for arriving migrants,but it should also be taken by all those in public office . However, Dr Bridget Byrne questions what exactly is meant by ‘British values’ and argues that […]
Misleading, irresponsible and dangerous; why Phillips and co should apologise for ‘What British Muslims Really Think’
Britain’s former equalities chief Trevor Phillips created a swathe of headlines last week by declaring the nation is “in danger of sacrificing a generation of young British people to values that are antithetical to the beliefs of most of us”. But, argue Bridget Byrne and James Nazroo, this sweeping statement is based on misrepresentation of […]
Testing times: why the UK’s citizenship tests fail to deliver
Citizenship tests were introduced in the UK in 2005, as part of a raft of innovations in the area of citizenship and naturalisation. But are these tests requiring immigrants to the UK to become ‘super-citizens’, before we allow them to have full citizenship rights? Dr Bridget Byrne, author of recent research into the test, argues […]
Welcome to citizenship?
Drawing on research for her book Making Citizens, Bridget Byrne explores how citizenship ceremonies often hear claims that the UK is a welcoming place, in contrast to new citizens’ actual experiences. Citizenship ceremonies have been taking place in the UK for over a decade. They are very common – taking place, often weekly, in cities […]
Politicians need to grasp that there are many ways of being British
There are many ways of being British. This is a reality that politicians and others need to understand, explains Dr Bridget Byrne. In response to the ‘Trojan horse’ controversy in Birmingham, David Cameron, Conservative Party leader has again stressed his belief in the need to emphasise ‘British values’. This is not a new approach. In […]