Anyone who works in a publicly-funded role and interacts with the public will have to speak reasonable English if Labour return to power, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader , has stated. Ideally, all Britons should speak the language if Britain is to be a “connected nation” rather than a “segregated one”, the Labour leader will say. “We can only converse if we can speak the same language.”

Bravo for him!  It seems so obvious.  I once visited a British city (originally founded by the Romans), had no map, got lost and for twenty minutes could find not a single person who could speak English. I got to where I was going in the end, but arrived in shock.  It should be a rule that immigrants everywhere should have to learn the local language, or there is no cooperation, no common outlook on life, or harmony.