This report from British Future, in partnership with London Citizens, sets out why London Mayoral candidates should support cross-party calls for an Office for Citizenship & Integration, headed by a new Deputy Mayor at City Hall with responsibility for promoting citizenship and encouraging better integration in London.
The report, authored by Sunder Katwala and Steve Ballinger of British Future and Will Somerville,Visiting Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield, details some of the key priorities that the new Office for Citizenship and Integration could pursue, including:
– Encouraging more migrants living in London to take British Citizenship, with a target of increasing by 100,000 the rate of citizenship registrations over the four-year mayoral term.
– Ensuring that more people speak English so they can fully be part of British life.
– Promoting greater involvement in civic life and contact between people from different backgrounds, including through volunteering drives and encouraging all young Londoners to register and use their first vote, as a step towards understanding of the value of common citizenship.
