A UK government official wants everybody in England to speak English. She is an expert on community interaction. She thinks a "common language" would heal divisions in England. She criticized governments for not focusing on integration as England becomes more multicultural. Politicians have not kept up with the "unprecedented pace and scale of immigration" for decades. Communities are becoming divided because of poor English skills.
The government said 770,000 people in England speak no English or hardly any. Up to 70 per cent of those were women, mostly from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. They are at risk from discrimination. The official said: "Everybody of working age and of school age should be able to speak one language." Opponents say England should be proud to be a multi-lingual country and not force people to learn English if they don't want to.