How to be British

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I have to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in May. After two years of marriage (and two years living in the UK), you are eligible for settlement in the UK and instead of just saying ‘Happy Anniversary,’ they charge you hundreds of pounds to transfer a new piece of paper in your passport. Once you have been in the UK with ILR for one year, you can apply for citizenship. I will be applying for citizenship next year because I really don’t see any downside to having it. I don’t have to give up US citizenship – I will just have dual citizenship with multiple passports. I’ll be one step closer to being like Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity. Only without all the guns and car chases and amnesia.

The UK government has made some recent changes to the process and now requires everyone to take the Life in the UK test before ILR, not just before citizenship. I am taking my test tomorrow. While some questions are no-brainers, others require a bit more studying. I actually took a course at university about UK politics but I’m sorry to say I really only remember someone from the Scottish Parliament coming to speak to my class. And I only remember him because he spoke the whole time with his fly unzipped.

I’m going back to the books. I leave you with some examples of the questions on the test:

What is an important ceremonial role that the King or Queen performs?
a) Chairing proceedings in the House of Lords
b) Meeting weekly with the Prime Minister
c) Opening of a new parliamentary session
d) Voting in the House of Commons

Which of the following statements is correct about political reporting during election periods in the UK? Select two options.
a) TV channels have to give equal time to rival viewpoints
b) All reporting on radio and TV must be balanced
c) It is illegal for newspapers to run campaigns to influence people’s opinions
d) Politicians must be able to read interview questions beforehand

What is the standard closing time of a pub?
a) 10 pm
b) 11 pm
c) 1 am
d) 2 am

What year did women in the UK gain the right to divorce their husband?
a) 1810
b) 1857
c) 1901
d) 1945

What is traditionally eaten on Christmas Day?
a) beer-battered fish and chips
b) poached salmon
c) roast pork and trifle
d) turkey

Which voting system is used to elect the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly?
a) A ranking or preferential system
b) Assembly members are chosen by the government
c) ‘First past the post’
d) Proportional representation

Why did Britain admit 28,000 people of Indian origin in the late 1960s and early 1970s?
a) Because of an agreement with the Indian government
b) They were escaping religious persecution
c) They were forced to leave Uganda
d) To address shortages in skilled labour

What proportion of people in the UK own their own home?
a) Half
b) One-quarter
c) One-third
d) Two-thirds

Why did Protestant Huguenots from France come to Britain?
a) To escape famine
b) To escape religious persecution
c) To invade and seize land
d) To seek refuge from war

What percentage of London’s population is made up of ethnic minorities?
a) 15%
b) 29%
c) 45%
d) 9%

Somebody aged 16 can drink wine or beer with a meal in a hotel or restaurant.
a) True
b) False

How many weeks of paid paternity leave are men entitled to?
a) Four weeks
b) One week
c) Three weeks
d) Two weeks

During the 1950s, where did Britain set up bus driver recruitment centres?
a) Australia
b) Canada
c) Ireland
d) West Indies

What is the distance from John O’Groats on the north coast of Scotland to Land’s End in the south-west corner of England?
a) Approximately 1,100 miles
b) Approximately 1,310 miles
c) Approximately 500 miles
d) Approximately 870 miles

Where is the Scouse dialect spoken?
a) Cornwall
b) Liverpool
c) London
d) Tyneside

What is the role of the European Commission? Select two options.
a) Draft proposals for new EU policies and laws
b) Administer EU funding programmes
c) Select the members of the European Parliament
d) Select the members of the Council of Ministers