Ben Woodward

@seledka_vodka Of course you can pass without fluency. Most people in the UK will never be fully fluent either, not when it comes to technical terminology and magical terminology

In my naturalisation ceremony, I'd estimate around 30% of people could not confidently communicate in English. As someone who went through the whole process, I can categorically state that you can currently pass KOL without fluency. Or you can bribe your local learning centre that's administering KOL since a lot of them are run by the same diaspora that refuses to integrate.

@iamthebadman @SonVlad @seledka_vodka @robblackie Yes, so when you quoted me why did you change what I said? Seems rather fraudulent.

@Sacro @SonVlad @seledka_vodka @robblackie Here you said: 'You can't get citizenship without passing a language test' x.com/Sacro/status/2… Now you say: 'I never pretended it mattered. It doesn't to me.' So the rule exists… but you don’t actually want it enforced? Not clear what you really want to be honest!

Nick Timothy, a leading Conservative MP, thinks that it's somehow an outrage that an envelope has some Bengali writing on it. A bit like how countries like Spain publish many things in English for people whose Spanish isn't perfect.

@OldandCrabby01 Are you confusing an advisory referendum with a democratic decision?

#PMQs do wish that Starmer would answer questions. He might not like Farage but he raised a legitimate question. Then they bang on about democracy whilst actively ignoring one of the biggest democratic decisions. Parliament is a joke.

@iamthebadman @SonVlad @seledka_vodka @robblackie Where did you quote that from? It's not something I've ever said. I never pretended it mattered. It doesn't to me.

@Sacro @SonVlad @seledka_vodka @robblackie "English proficiency is required for British citizenship" yet you translate official envelopes into Bengali 'to make sure it’s understood'? That’s not policy - that’s hypocrisy. Either enforce the language rule or stop pretending it matters.

@pjcboro @robblackie Did you never look at the languages of America? Africa? East Asia? Plenty of Spanish, Portuguese, French, Latin derived languages. All through colonialism.

@Sacro @robblackie Meh

@iamthebadman @SonVlad @seledka_vodka @robblackie Making sure it is understood

@SonVlad @seledka_vodka @Sacro @robblackie If that is the case, what is the reason for having it in Bengali too?

@pjcboro @robblackie You made my point when you asked about language spread. You didn't think that through did you?

@Sacro @robblackie You’ve no point about colonialism you Just thought it was an edgy thing to say.

@pjcboro @robblackie Yep, languages evolve constantly. How do you think you've shown me up?

@Sacro @robblackie So they’re all world languages are they? We’re conversing here in Latin? You’ve been shown up son.

@seledka_vodka @SonVlad @robblackie Do you recognise your own stupidity?

@SonVlad @Sacro @robblackie Your stupidity and confidence (the combination of the two) will cause you a lot of difficulty in life, in general. Confidence won't allow you to recognise your own stupidity and improve.

@LC_RFC92 @Marcusofamber @seledka_vodka @robblackie Google translate isn't comparable to a professional translator

@Sacro @Marcusofamber @seledka_vodka @robblackie Google translate is free shouldn't be out problem

@pjcboro @robblackie It did work for those languages. I'm sure you're not actually thinking, so don't worry yourself.

@Sacro @robblackie You threw out the word colonialism as the reason English is the world language as if you had a wider point to make. Funny how it didn’t work for Latin, Danish, Russian, Spanish, French, Dutch, isn’t it? Makes me think you’ve got some issue.

@pjcboro @robblackie I did, what confused you?

@Sacro @robblackie If you’ve a point to make Ben just go ahead and make it

@PovTheDay @METhompson72 I'm not, I actually know how these things work

@Sacro @METhompson72 Nor should you.

Is This Plausible? I am Morgan Macsweeney I am Chief Of Staff to the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland I hold a top-secret security clearance I own a mobile phone I use this phone to conduct Government Business I use this phone to message with Lord Mandelson My phone is tracked by GCHQ There are protocols for officials using personal phones to conduct Government business My communications are monitored to ensure they are not intercepted My phone is "stolen" a month after Lord Mandelson is sacked The police do not investigate The phone is not tracked down The police are too busy to track down the phone the most senior member of the Prime Minister's team - someone with a top-secret security clearance I do not contact my service provider to block the stolen phone I do not consider asking GCHQ to do this as a national security priority I do not ask for a replacement sim I do not buy a new phone I do not activate my new phone with the new sim I do not log-in to my Google account I do not select "Restore" I do not download WhatsApp I do not recover my messages Nobody, ever, who had their phone stolen was ever able to get their messages back. @UKLabour @Keir_Starmer DO YOU THINK WE ARE ALL STUPID? It is the cover-up that will take you down

@LC_RFC92 @Marcusofamber @seledka_vodka @robblackie Yeah? Pretty sure they won't have comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology in another language, they might not even have it in their own

@Marcusofamber @seledka_vodka @Sacro @robblackie 😂😂😂 that's what it is workers on temporary visas with every intention of returning to their home country

@PovTheDay @METhompson72 You shouldn't assume

@Sacro @METhompson72 WhatsApp posts don't sit on the device though. You simply log into your account in the same way you do with Facebook, X, etc. I assume if Morgan MacSweeney had an account, the fact that his phone was stolen didn't lead him to forget his login details.

@seledka_vodka @Marcusofamber @LC_RFC92 @robblackie Why not?

@Marcusofamber @LC_RFC92 @Sacro @robblackie You should never be in the position to have to pay the surcharge (and have the visa that requires it) if you need translators in the country.

@LC_RFC92 @seledka_vodka @robblackie Because it's far better than people not understanding medical terminology

@Sacro @seledka_vodka @robblackie Translators*

@seledka_vodka @robblackie What else do you misunderstand?

@Sacro @robblackie Beahahahahahaha Tell me more, sweet pea.

@pjcboro @robblackie It isn't the same at all

@Sacro @robblackie Same difference but if that works for you for whatever guilt you’re carrying fine

@seledka_vodka @robblackie You can't get citizenship without passing a language test

The Spain comparison is intellectually dishonest. Spain publishes things in English because millions of middle-class tax-paying Europeans choose to retire or relocate there. That is not remotely comparable to importing people from Bangladeshi villages who cannot read basic English - and then handing them British citizenship anyway. I'm a migrant. My parents and family invested heavily in my English education before I ever set foot in Britain. I attended the British Council, studied the language seriously, and became an Anglophile before I became British. And I’m telling you - there is no excuse - none whatsoever - for granting citizenship to people who require government communications in Bengali. It isn't kindness. It isn't humane. It's stupid. British citizenship should not be bestowed on anyone who cannot engage with democracy in English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, or Irish. That is the baseline. Anything beneath it is a failure of the state toward the people already here - including migrants like me who earned their place properly. What you are actually arguing - whether you realise it or not (but I think you do, oddly enough) - is that someone else's convenience should override national interest. You’re dressing up ideological capitulation as tolerance. It isn't. It's the British political left subordinating the British people to serve those who made no effort to meet Britain's most basic civic standard. I have genuine respect for the social democratic tradition and what historical Labour figures built in this country. But the modern left - Labour, the Greens, the Lib Dems like you - have turned their backs on the British national interest entirely. Which is why I don’t believe you’re fit to govern this country ever again. Your political lifeline, your legacy, your lineage - stops here.