Citizenship review launched at Wembley
Friday, 5 October 2007 12:00 AM
The government is launching a review of what it means to be British in a bid to boost citizenship.
Lord Goldsmith will officially launch the citizenship review tomorrow at Wembley Stadium.
The review, ordered as part of the green paper on Governance in Britain, will look at the path to citizenship, including the relationship between residence, citizenship and British national status.
It will also examine the rights and responsibilities of citizens and their role in civic society.
Lord Goldsmith said: "Calling a person a citizen is an important step. We accept people into our national community when we make them citizens. And, by seeking citizenship, a person expresses their desire to be a member of our community.
"Yet we take citizenship for granted in this country, especially when people are born with it."
He continued: "This review is an opportunity to address that.
"Over the next few months, I am hoping to articulate more clearly the significance of citizenship, and develop recommendations to ensure that our approach to citizenship is appropriate for modern issues of migration, identity and civic participation."
The review is being launched as Wembley Stadium plays host to its first citizenship ceremony, for Brent Council.
Mark Rimmer, service director of the Brent Registration and Nationality Service, said the ceremonies should feel like a celebration, not an administrative process.
He said: "Wembley Stadium with its iconic arch, stands out on the landscape in Brent and we should be using venues like these to give citizenship ceremonies a national profile and to engage new citizens in the community.
"People born and raised in this country are often far too cynical about being British and it seems to be a national pastime to put down British institutions and our way of life.
"It may be too naive to believe that citizenship ceremonies will change attitudes but they may at least make people stop to think about how lucky we all are to be living in a tolerant and free society."
Mr Rimmer has accused the government of unenthusiastic support for citizenship ceremonies, pointing out no Cabinet minister since David Blunkett has attended one.
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