Handbook

Chapter 1: Values and principles

Covers

The five principles, responsibilities and freedoms, the test

Reading

about 12 min

Quizzes

10 questions

British Values and Principles

On 26 February 2004, in the town hall of Brent in north-west London, 19 people from all over the world stood up and made a promise. With that, they became British citizens. Watching them was the Prince of Wales. It was the first citizenship ceremony ever held in the UK.

Ever since, every new citizen has said a short pledge at their ceremony. They promise to keep Britain's laws and to protect its democratic values. That pledge is what this chapter is about. What does British society care about most? If you want to make your home in the UK for good, what do you have to do, and what freedoms do you get? At the end, we also look at how the Life in the UK test itself works.

This chapter is very short, but don't skip it: test questions come from the whole handbook, and that includes this chapter.

Why take the Life in the UK test?

Asking to become a permanent resident (permanent residence means you can stay in the UK with no time limit) or a British citizen is a big step. It is also a promise. When you apply, you are agreeing to take on a permanent resident's responsibilities and to respect the UK's laws, values and traditions. Passing the Life in the UK test is one way to show that you are ready for life here in the long term.

The handbook itself has a clear aim: to help you settle into society, play a full part in your local community, and learn the basics of British culture, law and history.

What you need

Whether you want permanent residence or want to become a British citizen by naturalisation (the way someone who was not born British applies for citizenship), you have to meet two conditions. You must be able to speak and read English, and you must have a good understanding of life in the UK.

In practice, this means doing two things. It is not a choice between them: you need both.

ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages. These are English classes for people whose first language is not English, and Entry Level 3 is one of the levels.

How do you prove your English? One way is a pass in a recognised English test, taken at an approved test centre. For all the details, see the website of the Home Office, the government department in charge of immigration.

The requirements may change. Before you apply for settlement (another word for permanent residence) or for citizenship, check the Home Office website for the rules that apply at that moment.

Five pillars: the fundamental principles of British life

British society rests on a set of fundamental values and principles. Everyone who lives here, citizen or not, is expected to respect and support them. They grew out of the country's history and traditions. They are kept safe by the law, by custom and by what people expect of each other. And you can see them in the rights, privileges and responsibilities that citizens and permanent residents have.

One thing is very clear: extremism (holding extreme views, often with violence) and intolerance (refusing to accept people who are different from you) have no place in British society.

Here are the five pillars:

• Democracy: the people choose who runs the country.
• The rule of law: everyone has to obey the law, including people with power.
• Individual liberty: within the law, you decide how to live your own life.
• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs: accepting people whose religion or beliefs are not the same as yours.
• Participation in community life: taking part in the life of the place where you live.

The rule of law has the oldest roots of the five. In England, the idea that even the king must obey the law goes back to 1215, when a group of powerful barons forced King John to accept Magna Carta. For the first time, someone wrote down that the king's power had limits. You can read the full story in the History chapter The Middle Ages.

The citizenship pledge: a promise said out loud

At the citizenship ceremony we met at the start of this chapter, new citizens promise to protect these values. This promise is called the pledge. In our own words, it says:

New citizens promise to be loyal to the United Kingdom and to respect its rights and freedoms. They promise to defend its democratic values, to keep its laws faithfully, and to carry out everything that is expected of them as British citizens.

Broken down, that makes four promises:

Be loyal to the UK

Respect rights and freedoms

Uphold democratic values

Obey the law and do your duty as a citizen

According to GOV.UK, the ceremony has two parts. First you swear an oath of allegiance, a promise to be loyal to the monarch; if you would rather not swear by God, you can make an affirmation instead, which has no religious words. Then you say the pledge. Ceremonies are arranged by the local council: if you are 18 or over you must attend one within 3 months of your Home Office invitation, and at the end you receive your certificate of British citizenship.

Responsibilities and freedoms: a two-way deal

These principles lead to a set of responsibilities and freedoms that are shared by everyone who lives in the UK. Whether you are a citizen or not, you are expected to respect them. There are two lists. One says what you should do if you want to become a permanent resident or citizen. The other says what the UK gives you in return.

How the Life in the UK test works

To finish, here are the practical facts about the test itself.

24 questions

From the whole book

Approved test centres only

Book online only

• Questions: there are 24, about important parts of life in the UK. They can come from any part of the handbook. Good news: you don't need to learn anyone's dates of birth or death. Everyone sitting the test in the same session gets a different set of 24.
• Language: the test is normally in English. If you would like to take it in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic, this can be specially arranged.
• Where: only at a Life in the UK test centre that is registered and approved. There are over 30 of them in the UK. Don't sit the test anywhere else, because the Home Office only accepts certificates from registered centres. If you live in the Channel Islands or on the Isle of Man, the arrangements are different. You'll find out what these places are in the next chapter.
• Booking: you can only book online, on the government's Life in the UK test page (gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test). When you book, read the instructions with care and make sure your personal details are right.
• On the day: bring proof of identity and proof of your address. If you forget them, you can't take the test.

Being able to take the test in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic sounds thoughtful, but hardly anyone does it. Figures released after a member of the public asked the government for them showed only one test on record in each language up to 2020. In January 2020 a Brazilian man living in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, passed the test in Welsh. He was reported to be the first person ever to pass the Welsh version, and his story was later shown on Brazilian television.

As for the handbook itself: if your English is at ESOL Entry Level 3 or higher, you should be able to read it without trouble. At the back there is a glossary, a list of important words and phrases with their meanings. Each chapter ends with a "Check that you understand" box, but these boxes are only a guide. Learning what's in them is not enough: you need to understand the whole book.

For more information, there are three places to look: the Home Office website for how to apply and which forms to use; the Life in the UK test website for the test and booking; and the government website (Gov.uk) for ESOL courses and where to find one near you.

Chapter summary