Starmer says migrants should speak English – but all of the UK’s languages are important for integration

Posted on 20 May 2025 • Education, languages and health, Languages

When Keir Starmer said: “If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English”, it laid bare an assumption – that English is the only language that counts in the UK, says Sarah Cox, Research Fellow at the Open University.

This view not only overlooks the UK’s rich linguistic diversity, but also runs counter to the language policies being developed across the devolved nations.

While the UK government’s latest proposals on immigration treat English proficiency as the main pathway to integration, governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are taking different approaches.

Immigration is a matter controlled by Westminster. But integration, including language education, is devolved. That means each UK nation sets its own direction.

Read the full article here on The Conversation

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