Immigrants know MORE about Britain than the British, says Labour MP Sadiq Khan

Mr Khan says many immigrants know more about British culture and history than those who have lived here 50 years

A left-wing MP has claimed that new immigrants know more about the nation’s heritage than many Britons.
Labour justice spokesman Sadiq Khan said that it  ‘frustrated’ him to see newcomers obliged to sit citizenship tests when many people ‘know b***** all’ about British history.
Mr Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants and MP for Tooting in South London, said he met many people who have gone through the citizenship ceremony who  feel ‘so excited and enthused’.
But he added: ‘Then I’ll be canvassing in my area and there’ll be people who have lived in the same home for three or four or five generations who know b***** all about our country, about our heritage.
‘It frustrates me that you’ve got new citizens who have an obligation to learn about our country but we aren’t doing enough to make sure everyone shares that knowledge.’ Last night Mr Khan’s comments were criticised by Tory MPs.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, insisted that the test ‘unites the country and breaks down barriers’. He added: ‘If Labour want to scrap the citizenship test they should declare it openly.’
To gain citizenship or leave to remain in Britain, immigrants who speak a certain level of English must complete a test called ‘Life in the United Kingdom’, which was introduced by Labour in 2005.
Before being naturalised, they  must also take part in an individual or group ceremony at their local town hall, which involves an oath of allegiance to the Queen and listening to the National Anthem.

Immigrants must complete a test called 'Life in the United Kingdom'. Last year it was altered to focus on important events and people in British history

Cultural lessons: The revised citizen test includes knowledge of military victories such as the Battle of Trafalgar

WOULD YOU PASS THE TEST?

These sample questions were created by Red Squirrel Publishing, who publish a range of British citizenship test study guides.

Who was the first Prime Minister?

1. William Wilberforce
2. Robert Walpole (right)
3. Benjamin Disraeli
4. William Gladstone

What proportion of the population of the UK were killed by the Black Death?

1. A quarter
2. A third
3. Half
4. Three quarters

Which monarch established the Church of England?

1. King Henry VII
2. Elizabeth I
3. Edward I
4. King Henry VIII

Which monarch was defeated by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War?

1. Elizabeth I
2. James I
3. Charles I
4. Henry VII

Which British Prime Minister oversaw the introduction of the NHS?

1. Winston Churchill
2. Anthony Eden
3. Clement Attlee
4. Harold MacMillan

Last October, the Prime Minister announced that the citizenship test would be overhauled after it was revealed that it included questions on the European Union and how to claim benefits.
The revised exam now includes questions on Winston Churchill, the English Civil War, Shakespeare and the Norman Conquest.
The test, aimed at encouraging migrants to integrate into society, replaced the exam introduced by Labour seven years ago which asked for knowledge of human rights, the EU and how to claim benefits.

 

Instead of asking about when women won the right to divorce or who gets free prescriptions, the ‘Life in the UK’ test will demand knowledge of artists, poets and authors.
David Cameron – who only last month failed to answer questions about the Magna Carta and the  composer of Rule Britannia during a chat show appearance in the US – said last year: ‘Incredibly there are no questions on British history in the actual test. So we are going to revise the whole test and put British history and culture at the heart of it.’ 
Mr Khan, a former human rights lawyer, also suggested in the interview with The House magazine that he had been a victim of racial stereotyping after being mistaken for a defendant while at court.
He added: ‘But I don’t play the victim card. I’m uncomfortable about discouraging youngsters from coming forward to be lawyers, judges and journalists and politicians.
‘What I tend to do is try to explain to young people “work hard, apply yourself and you can achieve this”. There weren’t role models when I was younger. They are out there now.’
He also backed footballer Rio Ferdinand’s decision not to wear a Kick It Out anti-racism T-shirt.
Mr Khan said that although he admired Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager had been ‘wrong’ to discipline Ferdinand.
And he backed the Home Secretary’s decision not extradite Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon to the US, following a campaign by the Daily Mail. He said he was ‘unhappy’ about the extradition treaty and praised Gary’s mother, Janis Sharp, for running ‘a fantastic campaign’.

 

Scrapped: Sample questions from Labour's citizen exam, which introduced seven years ago