Northumbrian

To become a citizen of Switzerland you need to be a resident for at least 12years, and only then after your local community judges you to be suitable.

Every year there are 160,000 new British citizens, which is excessive. Visiting WH Smith today I saw a CD on how to pass your citizenship test. One of these so-called well-intentioned schemes by New Labour which is pretty impractical.

So - what I propose for British citizenship is:

A minimum of 12 years residence
Proof of considerable service to the community, fluent in the English language, long-established cultural and social ties etc.
The applicant would then have to present their case to a court of law, where a jury will consider whether they are suitable or not. The default position to be that of no right to citizenship. The onus will be on the applicant to provide all of the evidence.