Boris Johnson pledges to make all immigrants learn English

Boris Johnson has said there are “too many parts of our country” where English is not spoken as a first language and that he would require all immigrants to Britain to learn English.

At a hustings event for the Conservative leadership race in Darlington on Friday, the former mayor of London praised the capital’s diversity but suggested some communities were not doing enough to integrate into society.

“Now I think that the story of communities that have come to London and made their lives in London is amazing … waves have come to London and slowly they have changed, they have adapted, they have made their lives, and they’ve helped to make our national culture and they’ve bought into it. And that’s what I want for our country,” he said.

“I want everybody who comes here and makes their lives here to be, and to feel, British – that’s the most important thing – and to learn English. And too often there are parts of our country, parts of London and other cities as well, where English is not spoken by some people as their first language and that needs to be changed.

“People need to be allowed to take part in the economy and in society in the way that that shared experience would allow.”

Johnson and his leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, arrived in Darlington before the most important weekend in the race to be the next prime minister – ballot papers drop through members’ letterboxes over the next 24 hours.