Earn patriotic points - work for the trade unions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/03/immigration-minister-phil-woolas

“A Home Office consultation paper, Earning the Right to Stay in Britain, proposes a new ‘points test for citizenship’ and confirms that ministers are looking at ways of penalising those who demonstrate ‘an active disregard for UK values’ when they apply for a British passport”.

So: don’t demonstrate against the war effort, or argue in favour of replacing parliament with (say) workers’ councils.

On the other hand, it’s not all black marks. You can pick up Brownie points too, especially by canvassing in elections or organising trade unions:

“Probationary citizens are to be given temporary residence for five years. They can accelerate or delay the process of becoming full citizens depending upon the pace of their integration into British life. The Home Office paper says a central pillar of this approach will be active citizenship. Those who take part in voluntary work such as becoming a school governor, or ‘contributing to the democratic life of the nation’ through trade union activities, or by actively campaigning and canvassing for a political party, could get their citizenship within 12 months rather than the expected average of three years”.