The five principles
The handbook names them as the fundamental principles of British life. They are values rather than laws: the law enforces some of them, and the rest describe how people are expected to treat each other.
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
- Participation in community life
What they mean in practice
The handbook turns the principles into a short list of things residents are expected to do:
- Respect and obey the law.
- Respect other people’s rights, including the right to hold opinions you disagree with.
- Treat others with fairness.
- Look after yourself and your family.
- Look after the area you live in, and the environment.
And what the UK offers in return
The same chapter sets out the freedoms that go with those responsibilities: freedom of belief and religion, freedom of speech, freedom from unfair discrimination, a right to a fair trial, and a right to join in electing a government.
The handbook is also blunt about the limit: extremism and intolerance are ruled out of British society entirely.
Where the values meet the test
Chapter one of the handbook is short, so relatively few of the 24 questions come from it — 21 of the 811 questions in our bank. It is worth knowing anyway, because it is quick to learn and because new citizens pledge to uphold these values at the citizenship ceremony.