Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Join the SNP on the fast-track to British citizenship?

I did comment on this idea last week:
Immigrants who choose to live and work in Scotland could earn British citizenship more readily, according to Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy

From Monday this week:
People who want to become British citizens could speed it up by becoming active members of political parties and trade unions, under government plans.
Migrants would have to earn points for citizenship under the new system rather than getting an automatic right to apply for citizenship after five years.

They could also lose points for "bad behaviour" which it has been suggested could include anti-war demonstrations.

So if someone chooses to live and work in Scotland and then becomes an active member of a political party, say, for example, the SNP, they'll be well on the road to becoming a British citizen?

Or would joining the SNP instead count as "bad behaviour" under the new scheme?

Update I:
This report's timing obviously wasn't a coincidence:
Incentives should be offered to keep highly skilled immigrants in the UK, as more are staying for just a short time before leaving, a report argues.
The Institute for Public Policy Research think tank warned the UK could lose what it called "super mobile" migrants to competing countries.

It suggested incentives such as simpler visa extensions and tax breaks

A simplification of the system is certainly needed, although I think any government is going to find it very hard to get that "tax-break" idea past the tabloids.

Update II

Do you have what it takes to be a British Citizen?!
(Take the test here, thanks to Wyrdtimes on Twitter)

2 comments:

Wyrdtimes said...

This is typical Labour putting Labour's interests first.

They're counting on immigrants joining the Labour party... thereby directly funding Labour and boosting their ailing membership.

The other option is to join a trade union and fund Labour that way.

What a bunch of complete and utter rotters.

O'Neill said...

"What a bunch of complete and utter rotters."

Admirably restrained ;)...but yes, I think you're right on their motivation on this one.