Resolve radicalisation by making government staff swear an oath of allegiance

THE British Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has told the Sunday Times that he would like to see all civil servants and holders of public office swear an oath to British values.

Observers on both sides of the political spectrum have commented quickly on this suggestion, with former Chancellor George Osborne and other conservative MPs being very much in favour whilst Labour’s Diane Abbott took a somewhat more phlegmatic view, telling Sky that whilst she had no objection to this, she thought that it would actually make no difference as far as radicalised individuals were concerned.

Put simply, her argument is that if someone is prepared to commit an act of aggression against the state and the people living in it, then they are hardly likely to be dissuaded from this course of action because of an oath that they were required to swear and this view was supported by many from her party.