'True Brits' Must Speak English, Survey Finds

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

People in the UK have tougher attitudes towards immigration and welfare and have set a higher requirement for what it takes to make a person British, according to a new survey.

The British Social Attitudes survey found 95% of people thought to be "truly British" you must speak English - up from 86% in 2003.

It also found more than three quarters of people - 77% - say you must have lived in Britain for most of your life, while 51% said "true Brits" must have British ancestry.

Some 74% also said it is important to be born in Britain.

Under that definition Boris Johnson, a potential future Prime Minister, Prince Philip - the husband of the Queen - and iconic stars Joanna Lumley and Cliff Richard would all be counted as non-Brits.

74% of people say Brits should be born in the UK, ruling out Joanna Lumley

The study also reveals that 61% of people believe EU immigrants should have to wait three years for access to welfare benefits.

That flies in the face of David Cameron's attempt to be tough on immigration by setting the limit at three months.

And it will raise concerns about the possibility that UKIP could continue with the electoral success it experienced in May when it topped the polls in the European elections.

The 31st Natcen Social Research British Social Attitudes survey also found that almost a quarter of Britons think the main reason immigrants come to this country is to claim benefits.

And only 27% think legal immigrants who are not British citizens should have the same rights as the rest of the country - down from 40%.

Penny Young, chief executive of NatCen Social Research, said: "In an increasingly diverse, multi-cultural country, we might expect people to be more relaxed about what it means to be British, yet the trend is going in the opposite direction.

"It is now harder to be considered British than in the past and one message comes through loud and clear, if you want to be British, you must speak English.

"And as we debate whether UKIP's vote will hold up in the General Election, British Social Attitudes shows that the public is yet to be convinced that politicians have got a grip on immigration.

"They want tougher rules on benefits and many are unaware of the policies that are in place to control immigration."

The study suggests Mr Cameron's hope to teach British values in schools might not be successful, as many people believe Britishness is something people need to be born with - and cannot go on to acquire.

The Prime Minister wants to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta next year with a new drive on British values in schools.

It follows a scandal in Birmingham with allegations of a co-ordinated plot to push Islamic teaching into British state schools.

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