Quote of the day

"The simple act of taking one's turn is one of the things that holds our country together. It is very important that newcomers take their place in queues whether it is for a bus or a cup of tea. It is central to the British sense of fair play and it is also better for everyone."

Well, there you have it: queuing is the very backbone of British society and culture, and queue-jumping the biggest threat to our way of life. So said minister Phil Woolas, announcing that immigrants may have to learn the noble art as part of the citizenship test.

Queuing, buses, cups of tea, fair play - will there also be sections of the test assessing applicants' abilities to doff their bowler hats and grumble about the weather?

Predictably enough, the Mail's report on the story has attracted some choice comments. To take just one example: "The only queue they need experience of, is the one for a slow boat home". Presumably the rag and its readers would only be satisfied if applicants for citizenship could display an appropriately British level of xenophobia.