Would you ever give up being British?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24357407

I found some of these stories and comments quite interesting. Some bits I agreed with and some I didn't. You do see Britain and the British a bit differently once you live in another country and see it from an outsider's perspective.

I've kept my British nationality and I can't see I'll ever give it up. The only difference it makes is that I can't vote in national elections, only local. My kids only have Norwegian passports, but they could swap them if they ever wanted to, maybe they'll be tempted if the new rules to make girls do national service go through. It would feel a bit wrong to call myself Norwegian, because I don't think I ever really would be and I don't need to be, but I can see why a lot of immigrants need citizenship.

Being born British is privileged compared to huge parts of the world, but no more so than lots of other European countries or the US or Japan.

Would you swap over if it were more convenient, or could you never take on another citizenship?

I thought one of the fundamental rights of being British is that your citizenship can never be taken from you - unlike the US or Russia for example where the government can declare you persona non grata and kick you out. Similarly if you take up citizenship elsewhere you automatically lose your US citizenship.

As a Brit wouldnt you just get dual nationality - and avoid the tricky choice?

The problem is the other side.

The British allow dual nationality, the Norwegians don't. You have to give up your other passport.

The problem is the other side.

 

The British allow dual nationality, the Norwegians don't. You have to give up your other passport.

Aah. Would they know? After all you could get Norwegian citizenship and then sneak back to get a British passport again afterwards.

Edit. Maybe the thing to do is to always think of yourself as British, which you are, who happens to currently be holding a Norwegian passport. Unless you have to swear allegiance to King Harald and say you never liked Lizzie anyway, in which case its trickier.

Im English

Something I've thought long and hard about doing, since the UK of today is not the UK I care to be associated with; societys values, culutre, etc are atrocious. And having lived abroad reminds me how slummy parts of the UK are.

But in the end I couldnt bring myself to do it. I will be British till the day I die, for better or worse. We have a beautiful countryside, a capital city so full of character it is one of the most popular places on the planet to move to, and a history to be proud of.

My children are half-Austrian and have spent most of their lives here, but both the elder ones already say they want to live in the UK when they leave education.

Yes....ll

In Oz at the mo, would embrace Aussie citizenship in a heart beat.

I'm lucky enough to have dual nationality, but if I was forced to choose there is no contest. I would keep my British citizenship.

Having 2 passports has a lot of advantages for frequent travellers.

If the Mail get the UK to leave the EU, then I would go for a French passport in a heartbeat.

The only things we come back to the UK for are friends/family/football, and after a week we are homesick for France.

If the Mail get the UK to leave the EU, then I would go for a French passport in a heartbeat.

 

The only things we come back to the UK for are friends/family/football, and after a week we are homesick for France.

Good riddance.

I thought one of the fundamental rights of being British is that your citizenship can never be taken from you - unlike the US or Russia for example where the government can declare you persona non grata and kick you out. Similarly if you take up citizenship elsewhere you automatically lose your US citizenship.

 

As a Brit wouldnt you just get dual nationality - and avoid the tricky choice?

This may have been the case at one time - not anymore. My wife is a US citizen who has taken British Citizenship without losing her US status.

The problem is the other side.

 

The British allow dual nationality, the Norwegians don't. You have to give up your other passport.

Same deal for my Gran, she's a Swedish citizen who's been living here for 50 years or so, got her British passport and citizenship a few years ago and had to give up her Swedish one.

Nope, wouldn't swap it for anything. I've lived in 4 foreign countries throughout my life, each of them beautiful and brilliant in their own way, but there's just something about England that makes me really happy to call it home.

Im English

Prove it with an official government document.

I thought one of the fundamental rights of being British is that your citizenship can never be taken from you - unlike the US or Russia for example where the government can declare you persona non grata and kick you out. Similarly if you take up citizenship elsewhere you automatically lose your US citizenship.

 

As a Brit wouldnt you just get dual nationality - and avoid the tricky choice?

This may have been the case at one time - not anymore. My wife is a US citizen who has taken British Citizenship without losing her US status.

I thought it only worked the other way around - if you apply for US citizenship you have to give up your existing citizenship. If you're already a US citizen (presumably from birth) then you can add other nationalities dependent on those countries' rules.

...

I thought it only worked the other way around - if you apply for US citizenship you have to give up your existing citizenship. If you're already a US citizen (presumably from birth) then you can add other nationalities dependent on those countries' rules.

Yes I got it wrong - mixed up voluntary renunciation with compulsory.

I started to look up the differences between Nationality and Citizenship for this thread - never realised it was all so flippin' complicated:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/aboutcitizenship/

... and more of the history here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_British_nationality_law (allowing for the fact it is Wikipedia, it is all impeccably sourced)

I actually think my devotion to England and the UK ended in the Euro 2000s when we lost to Portugal. I was on holiday in France and walked into the swimming pool out of sadness. Maybe it was disappointment at the result, maybe it was realisation that all my upbringing was based on England superiority at everything and I realised this wasn't true. Too much Battle comics I suppose.

When England beat Germany 5-1 , I scared the kids with my jumping around, so perhaps it's what's happened since then, in football terms, which has made me, us, disassociate from the 'Nation'. Now we're in Oz 'us' to my son means Saints, then his local football team then Brisbane Roar then Brisbane RL team, then SRL playing for England. I think he feels more English than I do, when we're young, we want to identify and I'm happy for him to identify with England or Australia, and both.

So, I'd probably give up the notion of Britishness before Englishness.

"To be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life."

Would never change.

I've never considered my self British. I'm English, but I'm not particularly into this patriotic lark. Football aside, I'm not really that proud or emotional about the City I come from or Hampshire.

Having lived in Poole the past 23 years and all the kids were born and breed here, I consider myself a proud Poole man first and foremost.

There used to be an old lush who drank in my local, who kept banging on about The Kingdom of Wessex. I'm not sure if The Skates were in the Kingdom, if not, then I'll start using that as my nationality when asked.

I've never considered my self British. I'm English, but I'm not particularly into this patriotic lark. Football aside, I'm not really that proud or emotional about the City I come from or Hampshire.

 

Having lived in Poole the past 23 years and all the kids were born and breed here, I consider myself a proud Poole man first and foremost.

 

There used to be an old lush who drank in my local, who kept banging on about The Kingdom of Wessex. I'm not sure if The Skates were in the Kingdom, if not, then I'll start using that as my nationality when asked.

I'm pretty sure that Pompey would come under Sussex... I may be wrong though.

Frank Turner wrote an excellent song called Wessex Boy, which is a little irrelavent but still, thought might be of some interest to some.

Depends how much I was offered.

Every man has his price....

There used to be an old lush who drank in my local, who kept banging on about The Kingdom of Wessex. I'm not sure if The Skates were in the Kingdom, if not, then I'll start using that as my nationality when asked.

I'm pretty sure that Pompey would come under Sussex... I may be wrong though.

Going back a bit further the people from what is now South Hampshire and the IOW were Jutes (from Jutland), different from the Angles, Saxons and Celts in most of the rest of the country. Pompey and Southampton are forever intertwined.....

I'm extremely proud to be British and also served in the Marines. I wouldn't give it up ever.

I live in the US now, so if I got the chance to get a US passport, I would do but only if that involved me not losing my British passport (so being duel)

I'm pretty sure that Pompey would come under Sussex... I may be wrong though.

 

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Looking at some old maps on Google, it's pretty borderline. If it was in Sussex, then Wessex would be just perfect for me. Includes Southampton the city of my birth, and Poole the town I call home and the birth place of my better half and kids, but excludes Skates and other assorted Brits I'd rather not share nationality with.

Going back a bit further the people from what is now South Hampshire and the IOW were Jutes (from Jutland), different from the Angles, Saxons and Celts in most of the rest of the country. Pompey and Southampton are forever intertwined.....

The Jutes never settled where Soton now is, it was Saxon, hence the name Hamwii. Any town with Ham or Hampton was Saxon as it means settlement. Jutes settled in the IOW and Meon Valley

I had an opportunity to take US citizenship sometime ago but just couldn't face giving up my UK passport.

However, if we leave the EU then would would consider it in the years ahead as it would make our future lives easier.

This may have been the case at one time - not anymore. My wife is a US citizen who has taken British Citizenship without losing her US status.

This is reasonably recent, think it was early on in Dubya's presidency (probably because so many Yanks were emigrating)

Depends how much I was offered.

 

Every man has his price....

And they don't come much cheaper than me

Lived away and will probably do again but will never give up my Nationality, I used to find it sad and cringeworthy when some Brits would all of a sudden startwearing Aussie tops in Oz, sad bellend sell outs. Assimilate but dont sell your history, 2nd generation are that Countries Nationality not the 1st, embrace but you cant be something else whether you want to or not.

The Jutes never settled where Soton now is, it was Saxon, hence the name Hamwii. Any town with Ham or Hampton was Saxon as it means settlement. Jutes settled in the IOW and Meon Valley

Skates and Prisoners.

You do not have to give up your British passport if you become a US Citizen. You can also renew a British passport if you become a US Citizen. As long as the UK recognizes dual citizenship (which it does) there is no problem. The US has no say in whether i can keep it. I am likely going to become a US citizen for purely practical reasons (having to renew Greencard is a hassle, plus I would like to be able to vote). I will feel no less English because of it.

You do not have to give up your British passport if you become a US Citizen. You can also renew a British passport if you become a US Citizen. As long as the UK recognizes dual citizenship (which it does) there is no problem. The US has no say in whether i can keep it. I am likely going to become a US citizen for purely practical reasons (having to renew Greencard is a hassle, plus I would like to be able to vote). I will feel no less English because of it.

30 years ago I was told that if you became a US citizen you had to renounce all others, but that the UK didn't recognise the renunciation.

Im English

I've never considered my self British. I'm English, but I'm not particularly into this patriotic lark. Football aside, I'm not really that proud or emotional about the City I come from or Hampshire.

 

Having lived in Poole the past 23 years and all the kids were born and breed here, I consider myself a proud Poole man first and foremost.

 

There used to be an old lush who drank in my local, who kept banging on about The Kingdom of Wessex. I'm not sure if The Skates were in the Kingdom, if not, then I'll start using that as my nationality when asked.

Sorry, the title was probably misleading to people who can't be arsed to read the first post! This isn't about that old British/English thing that's been done to death on here. It's about whether or not you'd ever hand over your British passport and take on another official nationality. There is, of course, no English citizenship, just British.

Good riddance.

How uncalled for. The bloke was just answering the question and was 100% relevant. Why get nasty and abusive? Lots of people find a home in another country. The things he misses are friends and family, so I'd say his priorities are pretty good.

Being born English may have seemed like winning the lottery once, but I'd say many countries could lay claim to that title now. The UK is pretty far down on the standard of living charts. Surely by being born in a country where you can expect a better standard of life, you deserve that claim more.

Lived away and will probably do again but will never give up my Nationality, I used to find it sad and cringeworthy when some Brits would all of a sudden startwearing Aussie tops in Oz, sad bellend sell outs. Assimilate but dont sell your history, 2nd generation are that Countries Nationality not the 1st, embrace but you cant be something else whether you want to or not.

Dune was a proud Englishman too.

Dune was a proud Englishman too.

Good for him, I hope you are having a good day.

Having lived in the Netherlands I can apply for Dutch citizenship, though I have never considered doing that. I will be English to the day I die.

Good for him, I hope you are having a good day.

Not really. I am sorting a rat problem.

"To be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life."

 

Would never change.

give up my British citizenship ?........ when I'm dead perhaps.

Was it Dr.Samuel Johnson who said ....to be born British is to win the lottery of life...? ..or something akin to that.

give up my British citizenship ?........ when I'm dead perhaps.

Was it Dr.Samuel Johnson who said ....to be born British is to win the lottery of life...? ..or something akin to that.

( oops I see Hypocondriac got there before me. (same thought)

give up my British citizenship ?........ when I'm dead perhaps.

 

Was it Dr.Samuel Johnson who said ....to be born British is to win the lottery of life...? ..or something akin to that.

 

( oops I see Hypocondriac got there before me. (same thought)

Cecil Rhodes my good man.

give up my British citizenship ?........ when I'm dead perhaps.

 

Was it Dr.Samuel Johnson who said ....to be born British is to win the lottery of life...? ..or something akin to that.

 

( oops I see Hypocondriac got there before me. (same thought)

Don't worry about quoting Johnson...he also said that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" which isn't entirely contradicting the former pronouncement but pretty close.

I'm English/Sotonian and proud.

Don't worry about quoting Johnson...he also said that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" which isn't entirely contradicting the former pronouncement but pretty close.

 

I'm English/Sotonian and proud.

That's because he didn't say it.

I am British by birth but English by the grace of god. I would never give up my citizenship, I am proud of my country and am english to the core.

That's because he didn't say it.

Correct me...if you can. It was reported to be said by Johnson...not least by Boswell.

A couple of (admittedly unlikely) IFs.

If The UK voted to leave the EU (dream on, you xenophobic fantasists), and if I were then given the option of a British or EU passport, I'd happily give up the British one.

give up my British citizenship ?........ when I'm dead perhaps.

 

Was it Dr.Samuel Johnson who said ....to be born British is to win the lottery of life...? ..or something akin to that.

 

( oops I see Hypocondriac got there before me. (same thought)

I've never taken anything he said seriosuly since a butler called Edmund Blackadder mugged him off about a few missing words from his dictonary.

A couple of (admittedly unlikely) IFs.

 

If The UK voted to leave the EU (dream on, you xenophobic fantasists), and if I were then given the option of a British or EU passport, I'd happily give up the British one.

As would I. Never, ever thought I'd even entertain the idea!