Latest News

School Leavers to Pledge ‘Oath of Allegiance’

The ex-attorney general Lord Goldsmith has authored a report for the Prime Minister on British Citizenship and one of his recommendations is that school leavers should be encouraged to swear an oath to “Queen and Country” at special UK citizenship ceremonies. This is his favoured option, although he offered the alternative of a pledge of commitment to the UK.

The thinking behind the proposal is that it would give young people a greater sense of what it means to be British and to be proud of their national identity. In an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme, he said that that the recommendations were needed to restore a “diminution in national pride” He also referred to a now favourite initiative of New Labour citing that this would give a clear idea about “rights and responsibilities” and would better community relations.

His suggestions have already met with fierce opposition even within his own party, with his fellow peer Baroness Kennedy calling them “puerile” and “a serious mistake.” Reservations from Welsh and Scottish ministers cast further doubt on the proposal, and weaken the idea that it will bring people together from across the UK.

The strongest criticism though, comes from anti-monarchist groups, Graham Smith from Republic said the idea was “offensive” and will send the message that children who don’t want to participate that they are “less British” than those who do. Other proposals in the report include a British national day by 2012 and the creation of a new National Citizens corps.

Comments

• This is disgusting, jingoism gone mad. Next thing they will be wanting an empire back…

  By Elliot Dickens on 31.3.2023

  If you are unhappy with this comment please refer to our terms and conditions and contact us with any any concerns.

• What a load of rubbish…

  By Lauren on 14.3.2024

  If you are unhappy with this comment please refer to our terms and conditions and contact us with any any concerns.

• I really must borrow some words from Ian Paisley on this one: “Never, never, never.”

  I am a proud republican, and quite frankly it is disgraceful that this government seeks to build such a nationalism which we should be turning away from.

  The monarchy serves no use to the British public, we are the laughing stock of Western democracy upon our insistance to have an unelected head of state. We are a backwards democracy because of it.

  By Luke on 12.3.2024

  If you are unhappy with this comment please refer to our terms and conditions and contact us with any any concerns.

• I understand the thinking behind the idea, but you have to be seriously f*cking stupid to recommend that.

  Well done Lord Goldsmith. How about making England something to be proud of rather than pushing us along to pledge allegiance to a decrepit car-crash of a country.

  By George Berry on 12.3.2024

  If you are unhappy with this comment please refer to our terms and conditions and contact us with any any concerns.