John Griff Column: When British citizenship is a trophy worth working for

You’ll be able to read elsewhere and from people way more qualified than I am as to what Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup has brought to the sport globally. Certainly, there seems to be more sensationalism and controversy than in any iteration of the tournament. Obviously, most of it has been off the field of play, although in just the first couple of days there’s been plenty to say about how the rules of the game have – or have not – been applied by the ruling body of the sport FIFA and its officialdom. A great deal had been said, written and broadcast by learned and informed people about the Arabian country and its behaviours – certainly more than I could offer. But those things nevertheless have given me a great context with which to appreciate something that I was involved in on Monday this week, beyond England’s first game and its comprehensive victory over Iran with the tennis score of 6-2. It could have been a much more emphatic win too, had certain things gone a different way.

On Monday and as part of my responsibilities as a Deputy Lieutenant I had the pleasure of attending a couple of citizenship ceremonies, representing the Crown. With the change of monarch earlier in the year it was the first time that I had attended a ceremony under the portrait gaze of King Charles III instead of Queen Elizabeth II. Effectively though it was business as usual with the welcome addition of family members and friends who, for the first time since the pandemic began, had been allowed back into the room to witness the event. Some of those present had still masked up before sitting down and having still not fully thrown off the cough which Covid left me with a month ago, I didn’t blame them.

The ceremony doesn’t take long – it scales up or down in relation to the number of people swearing their allegiance to King and Country and is historic to each and every candidate for citizenship. It’s a point that I am a pains to make when I get the chance to address the room. History is about stories and with each new citizen to the country, the stories of their journey to citizenship further develops the story of the country. Cultural diversity within Great Britain is a crucial part of our past, present and future. It always has been and always will be. It is for us to learn from each other and to make the most of our skills for the greater good. Together, we are stronger and when it comes to our collective strength in the future that diversity will prove crucial too. The process of learning never ends and neither does the potential to develop and improve. The power of our democracy and the freedoms that over 800 years of struggle have delivered should never be underestimated either.

This week the ceremonies I joined in with were a masterclass in why it’s important to welcome newcomers to our society. The candidates for citizenship who I met had come from literally all parts of the world – every continent was represented. Every candidate – whatever their age – had invested time, effort and money in their journey to that ceremony. I am always very aware of my own origins on such occasions, my citizenship being conferred on me in the moment of my birth. Perhaps there’s a learning point for us as the indigenous community to reflect on here – would we be able to answer the questions that are posed of those wishing to make Great Britain truly their home? Do you know under which king the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united to defeat the Vikings? Or what Sir Frank Whittle invented? How about what kind of church the Church of Scotland is? Or how many members the Welsh government has? They’re all questions included within the realm of the citizenship test (Answers: 1: King Alfred The Great 2: The jet engine 3: Presbyterian 4: 60.).

Do such tests matter? I think they do – and that maybe all of us should be able to answer them. I’ve seen the test and know full well that I don’t know all the answers off the top of my head. What is the benefit of knowing the answers? Well, perhaps a sense of pride and origin for one thing. Maybe a sense of belonging and of heritage? Certainly a sense of foundation. And even a sense of application from seeking out the answers of our home country. Good things, all.

On Monday I had the opportunity to speak for a little while with the father of one family who had taken the final step of their journey to citizenship. His wife and their two sons had become citizens as he had some time ago. Romanian by birth, he talked with pride about that journey and the work that they had all put in to finally achieve citizenship. His wife Maria is a dental secretary and she told me about how her employer had helped her with explaining some of the history of the country. As a result the test made some sense rather than it being a simple process of question and answer. Romanian by birth, that family is now British, adding to the output of this country and its diversity. It matters too – I had watched that father weep tears of pride as his family made history, not only for itself, but for the country too. Our country, collectively.

The World Cup should be about football at the highest level played by the planet’s best teams. It should be about the unifying potential for sport, played purely. Whether it can achieve that this year remains to be seen, but in the meantime I’ve watched as former strangers and visitors have chosen to steer a certain journey for themselves and their families, to invest themselves in Great Britain, to bring their skills to us and become citizens of this country. We certainly need them, too.

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