We enter this autumn with the echoes of the Olympics still reverberating, not least because they made us all think about what it means to be British in 2012. Politicians and academics have been grappling with “Britishness” for years, as the unprecedented levels of immigration allowed by the Labour Government meant that this country found itself suddenly with large numbers of residents who had no British history or daily habits as instinctive reference points.

Much of this latest debate was sparked by the opening ceremony, attacked by a few for its “multi-cultural” content. The exact opposite seemed to me to be true. The reason the opening ceremony hung together so well was that it was mono-cultural, while revealing, and indeed revelling in, the breadth and depth of modern British culture. Shakespeare, Brunel, village greens, the NHS, rock music and grime (the musical form!) all played a legitimate part in the national pageant, revealing the variegated nature of Britishness to the world. No other country could present its most famous rap singer with song called “Bonkers”—a word straight out of school fiction from the 1950s.   

It should, but apparently does not; go without saying that Britishness has changed over the centuries. Any Tory who cares about British history will accept this. At various stages in the last few hundred years it has become possible to be a patriotic British citizen without being a Protestant  (which is good for Catholics like me), without indeed having to be Christian, (which is good for Mo Farah), without having to be white,( which is good for half the England football team) and without having to be born here (which is good for a wide range of people from the sons and daughters of Empire to an increasing number of modern Londoners).

What you do have to be, though, is committed to the underlying values, habits and institutions of Britain. These are not immutable, and over time they evolve, but the national discussion that leads to this evolution is itself a key feature of

Britishness. It may at times be raucous and even rancorous, but it is a discussion between free individuals who are entitled to their say. It is not violent, it does not incite violence, and if laws need changing they are changed in Parliament, and then signed into effect by the Monarch. You are free to campaign that this should be not be the process, but if you want to change it you have to do it using these rules.

This basic rule of political and social discourse is only one way in which being British differs (sometimes subtly)  from being a citizen of any other advanced democracy, whose values we will largely share.  One of the ways we intend to approach the wider definition of Britishness will become clear in the new version of the document the Home Office produces to go with the “Life in the UK” test which new citizens have to pass.

The previous guide was too much about how to interact with the state and not enough about the wider context of Britishness. We have changed it radically to give a proper sense of British history so that new Brits can understand how Britain has grown into what it is today. The guide is unashamedly patriotic and explains the daily life of British people, including cultural and leisure activities, so that no new citizen should feel inclined to stick to a parallel culture. 

The section titles of the new Guide give a good clue to its overall direction. They include “The values and principles of the UK”; “A long and illustrious history”; “A modern, thriving society”, and “The UK Government, the law and your role”.  It will also set out clearly the fundamental principles of British life, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community life.

It is important that these principles are not regarded as motherhood and apple pie. They entail stopping some behaviour as well as allowing some.  A variegated society needs some taboos, or it just becomes parallel societies occupying the same piece of land.

The publication of the Life in the UK Handbook will I hope provoke another round of debate on what it means to be British today. The more we can bring together our permanent values with contemporary mores the likelier we are to achieve a relaxed and coherent society.

This article has been published in the ResPublica Fringe magazine, a collection of articles and essays from our party conference partners. 

Damian Green MP will be speaking at ‘Immigration and integration in civic life’, a ResPublica public fringe event co-hosted with Barrow Cadbury Trust and British Future at Conservative Party conference: Sunday 7th October, 8.00pm – 9.15pm, in the ResPublica Marquee, the ICC Birmingham (secure zone).