Luxor4u

JP's, School Governors, Local Councillors, are going to have to take an oath "to uphold British Values" before they are appointed, this is going to be extended to Health care workers and other sectors of society.
Now as a Brit born and bred I have no idea what British Values are. A belief in democracy, the Royal family, freedom of the press and speech, maybe?
What would you say are "British Values?"

According to Ofsted, 'fundamental British values' are:

democracy
the rule of law
individual liberty
mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.

(School Inspection Handbook from September 2015)

I'd go along with these as at least "components" of what is a rather vague term - "British values".

The difference between how these components operate in UK and, say, Egypt is an indication of how fundamental they are in influencing how we, as citizens, think and act and why, perhaps, the British expat in Egypt feels, at times, "uncomfortable".

We do not, in UK, have a coded constitution. Ours is based on centuries of case law and custom. Arguably, it's an advantage. It certainly keeps our legal profession well-employed!

Like Egypt, the UK is a democracy. We have an elected government based on "one man/woman - one vote". This is, of course, only one aspect of democracy. Beyond that, our concept of democracy seems to diverge!

Like Egypt, we have a complex legal code. Beyond that there is little similarity in either the independence of the judiciary (vital if the law is to have any value) or the consistency with which the law is applied.

Like Egypt, individual liberty is conferred by our constitution. Unfortunately, in Egypt, the constitution is not adhered to rigorously by the legislature or judiciary.

Like Egypt, freedom of religious belief (or no belief) is conferred by our constitution. But, again, in Egypt the constitution is not, in practice, supported by the legislature or judiciary.

Whether the Egyptian expat in UK has a problem with these "values", and how they operate in UK, I couldn't say. The feeling I get from comments from foreigners who have settled in UK is that they greatly appreciate the elements of individual freedom and impartial application of the law....features often widely at variance from their country of origin.

"Values" must be distinguished from "customs"....customs such as dress code, diet, even language. There should be room for foreigners to maintain the customs of their country of origin - providing these do not conflict with British values.

For example:

Not learning the English language (a "custom") will create significant difficulties for any foreigner settling in UK....if they wish to work. Maintaining their ethnic dress may attract unwelcome attention. The attitude of native Brits to these aspects is a good indication as to how sincere our "values" (e.g. freedom & tolerance) are taken.

The wish to consume only "halal" food may be an inconvenience for some foreign settlers but they will have to accept that our "values" and indeed law, may not permit the ritual slaughter of animals in the manner they would prefer.

Do the British public and rule makers have any true values now?

carrie wrote:Now as a Brit born and bred I have no idea what British Values are. A belief in democracy, the Royal family, freedom of the press and speech, maybe?
What would you say are "British Values?"

Please allow an input from the other side of The North Sea, which with our Nordic values, we call The West Sea.

I am truly relieved to have missed the debate on Danish values while enjoying Egyptian "hygge".

Danish values are now official. Spending time with foreigners in Denmark and living as a foreigner in Egypt, the one official Danish value that I value is the trust upon which our whole system is built.


http://cphpost.dk/news/its-official-hyg ... canon.html

December 13th, 2016 10:59 am| by Christian W

Following a nationwide survey, Denmark has released a new canon that indicates which values the nation wants to be identified with going forward.

The Denmark Canon, which was established by the former culture minister, Bertel Haarder, includes ten values that include equality, freedom and … of course … ‘hygge’!

“The Denmark Canon has been established during a time when there is growing concern about the future – many people are uncertain about our common value foundation,” said Haarder.

The ten values that people have now chosen are an expression of the most important current and future societal values: our common cultural DNA. And it’s a step towards a more clear vision for our culture, which I believe is essential for the bonds that hold Danish society together.”

Bertel’s brainchild
The canon, which was launched by Haarder in June, received 2,425 proposals from citizens, students, clubs, politicians, associations, organisations and culture personalities.


Six curators then narrowed down the list to 20 values that over 320,000 Danes voted on.

Welfare society: in Denmark’s welfare society, citizens enjoy a high level of protection against social and physical risk and benefit from a number of public advantages

Freedom: freedom is the cornerstone value of Denmark’s democracy. As per Western tradition, the freedom of the people is intertwined with the freedom of the individual

Trust: the Danish culture of trust builds on an expectation that one’s fellow citizens and public institutions are trustworthy

Equality in the eyes of the law: Denmark is often ranked in the top of international indexes regarding trust and low corruption

Gender equality: Danish society is built on an equality between the sexes, which means that men and women should have the same rights and opportunities

The Danish language: Danish is the mother tongue for over 90 percent of the population in Denmark. Language is not just a tool for communication, but a banner of culture

Associations and volunteering: associations make up the foundation of how to organise communities across Denmark

Liberality: liberality builds on a premise that all people have a right to decide over their own lives. To convey liberality is to have an open-minded and tolerant attitude and mindset

Hygge: hygge is considered a special way to be together in relaxed conditions. Hygge has its own word and many contend it cannot be translated.

The Christian cultural heritage: Christianity’s concept concerning charity and Protestant thoughts about the importance of work, personal responsibility and all humans being equal in the eyes of God has left its mark on modern Denmark.

Hygge: hygge is considered a special way to be together in relaxed conditions. Hygge has its own word and many contend it cannot be translated.

I've seen it translated as a sense of wellbeing....comfort......"cosiness".

Something common to relatively affluent societies and one which, I imagine, is appreciated by immigrants from countries mired in poverty, corruption and conflict