British values, rights and freedoms

Democracy: how the people choose their government

Democracy is one of the fundamental principles of British life set out in the values that all UK residents are expected to respect and support. In practical terms this means every citizen has a say in how the country is run, chiefly through the right to vote and stand in elections for representatives who sit in Parliament and in local councils.

The value is one of five listed together in the official guidance: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community life. New citizens formally commit to these values at their citizenship ceremony, where they make a pledge stating: "I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen."

Alongside the right to vote, residents and citizens hold a wider right to join in the election of a government, one of the freedoms the UK offers in return for accepting the responsibilities of citizenship. Taking part in community life and respecting the outcome of democratic decisions, even when you disagree with them, are part of what makes the system work.

The rule of law: no one is above the law

The rule of law is the second of the fundamental principles of British life. It means that everyone, including government ministers, officials and the monarch, must obey the law, and that laws are applied equally and enforced through independent courts.

This principle underpins the rights the UK guarantees to residents in return for their responsibilities: a right to a fair trial and freedom from unfair discrimination both depend on laws being applied consistently rather than according to power or status. Respecting and obeying the law is listed as one of the basic responsibilities expected of anyone who wishes to become a permanent resident or citizen.

The citizenship pledge reinforces this directly, with new citizens promising to observe the country's laws faithfully and to fulfil their duties and obligations as a British citizen.

Individual liberty: personal freedom within the law

Individual liberty is the third fundamental principle of British life. It protects a person's freedom to make their own choices, hold their own opinions and live their life as they wish, provided they stay within the law and respect the equivalent freedoms of others.

This principle is expressed through specific freedoms the UK offers to residents and citizens: freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, and freedom from unfair discrimination. These freedoms sit alongside a matching responsibility to respect the rights of others, including their right to hold their own opinions, and to treat other people with fairness.

Individual liberty works closely with the related principle of tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. British society expects people to use their freedoms without resorting to extremism or intolerance, since the guidance is explicit that there is no place for either in British life.

Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs is one of the fundamental principles of British life, alongside democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and participation in community life. These principles are not abstract ideals: British society is founded on fundamental values and principles which all those living in the UK should respect and support, and these values are reflected in the responsibilities, rights and privileges of being a British citizen or permanent resident, based on history and traditions and protected by law, customs and expectations.

This tolerance works alongside a clear limit: there is no place in British society for extremism or intolerance. In practical terms, this means the UK is home to people of many religions and of none, and everyone is expected to accept that others may hold different beliefs, provided those beliefs are expressed within the law. In return for accepting these responsibilities, the UK offers freedom of belief and religion as one of its guaranteed freedoms.

New citizens confirm their acceptance of this principle formally. As part of the citizenship ceremony, new citizens pledge to uphold these values, promising: I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms, I will uphold its democratic values, and I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen.

Respect for the rights of others

Respecting the rights of others is one of the core responsibilities that comes with living permanently in the UK. If you wish to be a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, you should respect and obey the law, respect the rights of others including their right to their own opinions, treat others with fairness, look after yourself and your family, and look after the area in which you live and the environment.

This responsibility is matched by a set of guaranteed freedoms. In return, the UK offers freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, freedom from unfair discrimination, a right to a fair trial, and a right to join in the election of a government. The relationship is reciprocal: residents are expected to respect other people's opinions and beliefs, and in exchange they receive the same protection for their own. This mutual respect underpins peaceful life in a society made up of people from many different backgrounds.

Equality before the law

The rule of law is one of the fundamental principles of British life, standing alongside democracy, individual liberty, tolerance and community participation. At its core, this principle means that everyone in the UK, regardless of position, wealth or background, is subject to the same laws and can expect the same treatment from the courts and public authorities.

This principle connects directly to the responsibilities expected of residents and citizens. Anyone wishing to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK is expected to respect and obey the law. In turn, the state guarantees fair treatment: the UK offers freedom from unfair discrimination and a right to a fair trial as part of what it provides to its residents and citizens.

New citizens formally commit to this principle in the citizenship pledge, promising to observe the law faithfully. As part of the citizenship ceremony, new citizens pledge to uphold these values: I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms, I will uphold its democratic values, and I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen. The rule of law and equality before it are treated as inseparable from British democracy itself: no one, including those in government, stands above the law, and everyone has equal access to legal protection and equal accountability under it.

Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is one of the freedoms the UK offers to everyone who lives here, resident and citizen alike. In return for accepting the responsibilities of permanent residence, such as obeying the law and respecting the rights of others, the UK guarantees a right to a fair trial, freedom of belief and religion, freedom from unfair discrimination, a right to join in the election of a government, and freedom of speech.

This freedom sits alongside the fundamental principle of individual liberty, which underpins British life together with democracy, the rule of law, tolerance and participation in community life. Individual liberty means people are generally free to live as they choose and to express their opinions, provided they stay within the law and do not harm others. Freedom of speech is not, however, unlimited: laws such as the Public Order Act make it a criminal offence to incite racial or religious hatred, so speech that crosses into hate speech is not protected.

Freedom of religion and belief

Freedom of belief and religion is listed among the rights the UK offers to its residents and citizens, alongside freedom of speech, freedom from unfair discrimination, a right to a fair trial and a right to join in the election of a government. This right reflects the principle of tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, one of the fundamental principles of British life alongside democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and participation in community life.

In practice, this freedom means people are entitled to practise any religion, or none, and to change their religion if they wish. It also means the state should not force anyone to hold or follow a particular faith. Alongside this freedom sits a responsibility: residents and citizens are expected to respect the rights of others, including their right to their own opinions and beliefs, even where those beliefs differ sharply from their own. There is no place in British society for extremism or intolerance, and the values pledge taken by new citizens at their citizenship ceremony commits them to give loyalty to the United Kingdom, uphold its democratic values and observe its laws faithfully.

Freedom from unfair discrimination

Freedom from unfair discrimination is one of the rights the UK offers its residents and citizens, standing alongside freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial and the right to take part in electing a government. It reflects the wider expectation that everyone living in the UK should treat others with fairness and respect the rights of others, including their right to their own opinions.

The main law protecting people from unfair discrimination is the Equality Act 2010, which sets out nine protected characteristics. These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. It is against the law to treat someone unfairly because they have one of these characteristics, whether at work, in education, when using services, or in other areas of public life.

This legal protection connects directly to the principle of tolerance that runs through British society, and to the idea that the law applies equally to everyone regardless of background, wealth or status. Anyone who believes they have suffered unfair discrimination can seek advice or bring a claim, and public bodies also have duties under the Act to promote equality between people with different protected characteristics.

The right to a fair trial

The right to a fair trial is one of the freedoms the UK offers in return for the responsibilities of citizenship. The Bible for this lesson lists it among the core entitlements of everyone living in the UK, alongside freedom of belief, freedom of speech and freedom from unfair discrimination.

This right means that anyone accused of a crime is entitled to have their case heard properly, by an independent court, before any punishment can be imposed. It applies to everyone living in the UK, whatever their nationality, and it sits alongside the other fundamental principles of British life: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. The rule of law means that everyone, including the government, must obey the law and can be held to account by the courts; the right to a fair trial is one of the practical guarantees that makes this possible, since it stops the state from punishing someone without proper legal process.

In serious criminal cases in England and Wales, a defendant may be tried by a jury, a panel of ordinary citizens who decide on guilt or innocence, though many cases are heard by magistrates without a jury. The precise arrangements for trials differ slightly between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, reflecting the UK's separate legal systems, but the underlying principle of a fair hearing before an independent court applies throughout the UK.

Political and civic participation

Taking part in the democratic and community life of the UK is one of the fundamental principles of British life, alongside democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance. The Bible lists participation in community life as a core value that British society expects residents to uphold, and in return the UK guarantees the right to join in the election of a government.

Voting is the clearest form of political participation. Citizens have a right to register on the electoral roll and to vote in elections once they meet the age and residency requirements set out in law. Beyond voting, people take part in civic life in many other ways: standing for office, joining a political party, campaigning on issues they care about, serving on a jury, volunteering for local charities or community groups, and taking part in local consultations. The pledge made by new citizens at their citizenship ceremony reflects this expectation directly: new citizens promise to give their loyalty to the United Kingdom, uphold its democratic values, and observe its laws faithfully while fulfilling their duties as a British citizen.

Community participation matters because British society is founded on the idea that residents share responsibility for the place where they live. The Bible's list of expected responsibilities includes looking after the area in which you live and the environment, and treating others with fairness and respect for their opinions, both of which are forms of everyday civic participation that go beyond formal politics.

The limits placed on rights by the law

Freedoms in the UK are not unconditional. British society is founded on fundamental values and principles which all those living in the UK should respect and support, and these values are protected by law, customs and expectations rather than existing without any boundary. The Bible states plainly that there is no place in British society for extremism or intolerance, which marks a clear limit on how far individual liberty and freedom of speech and belief can be exercised.

The freedoms the UK offers, including freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, freedom from unfair discrimination, the right to a fair trial and the right to join in the election of a government, are balanced by responsibilities. Residents are expected to respect and obey the law, respect the rights of others including their right to their own opinions, treat others with fairness, look after themselves and their families, and look after the area in which they live and the environment. These responsibilities show that one person's rights end where they would unreasonably interfere with another person's rights or with the wellbeing of the wider community.

This balance is written into the citizenship pledge itself: new citizens promise to give their loyalty to the UK and respect its rights and freedoms, uphold its democratic values, and observe its laws faithfully while fulfilling their duties and obligations. The rule of law, one of the fundamental principles of British life, underpins this balance because it means that everyone, without exception, must obey the law, and that the law itself sets the limits within which rights and freedoms operate.

No place for extremism or intolerance

British society is built on shared values: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community life. These values are not abstract ideals. They are reflected in the rights, privileges and responsibilities that come with being a British citizen or permanent resident, and they are upheld by law, custom and public expectation.

The handbook is direct on this point: there is no place in British society for extremism or intolerance. This principle sits alongside, and underpins, the other fundamental values. Respecting the rights of others, including their right to hold different opinions and beliefs, is one of the responsibilities expected of everyone who lives in the UK, whether they are a citizen or not.

New citizens make this commitment explicit at their citizenship ceremony, where they pledge to give their loyalty to the United Kingdom, respect its rights and freedoms, uphold its democratic values, and observe its laws faithfully while fulfilling their duties as a British citizen. Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs is listed as one of the fundamental principles of British life in its own right, working alongside the rejection of extremism to keep community life open and peaceful.