The Life in the UK test has formed a core part of citizenship applications since 2005 when it was introduced by the then-Labour government.
However academics have warned the research material provided for those looking to gain citizenship is âfundamentally misleading and in places demonstrably falseâ in an open letter published in the journal History. âThis official, mandatory version of history is a step backwards in historical knowledge and understandingâ, the letter states âHistorical knowledge is and should be an essential part of citizenship. Historical falsehood and misrepresentation, however, should not.â
Among the areas of contention is the claim in the text that âWhile slavery was illegal within Britain itself, by the 18th century it was a fully established overseas industryâ, with the historians arguing â In fact, whether slavery was legal or illegal within Britain was a matter of debate in the eighteenth century, and many people were held as slavesâ.
âIt also states that âby the second part of the 20th century, there was, for the most part, an orderly transition from Empire to Commonwealth, with countries being granted their independenceâ. âIn fact, decolonisation was not an âorderlyâ but an often violent process, not only in India but also in the many so-called âemergenciesâ such as the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenyaâ.