UK Borders Bill

Perhaps I should start by talking about the cut-off point. I tried to explain earlier in my speech why I did not go back to before 1 January 1949. The reason is that, until that date, the great majority of British women who married foreigners would have acquired their husband’s nationality and lost their British nationality on marriage. Before 1949, the right to British citizenship might have been available only in a very small and rather random collection of cases, so I do not intend to change that outlook.