This book is a product of experience, interaction and research. My thanks to the generous support from Durham Law School and Durham University for research leave that helped facilitate my work on this project. I am grateful to Scott Shapiro and the Yale Center for Law and Philosophy at Yale University’s Law School for welcoming me as a visiting fellow and providing me with such an excellent space to complete my writing. I must also thank Frank Michelman and Harvard University’s Law School for supporting my work on this book too and for the productive environment made available to me.
I have benefited enormously from conversations and feedback from Bruce Ackerman, Orkun Akseli, Hilary Benn, David Blunkett, Catherine Briddick, Alan Campbell, Matt Cavanagh, Simon Child, Melanie Cooke, Gareth Dant, Cathrine Degnen, Lisa Diependaele, Maria Dimova-Cookson, Don Flynn, David Hanson, Andrew Harrop, Matt Henderson, Peter Jones, Harley Miller, David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Tariq Modood, Martin Nickson, Martha Nussbaum, Chi Onwurah, David Owen, Erica Rackley, (Lord) Roger Roberts, Martin Ruhs, Philippa Scutt, Robert Schütze, Anqi Shen, Avital Simhony, James Simpson, (Baroness) Angela Smith, Luke Sullivan, Jessica Toale, John Tribe, Astrid von Busekist, Patrick Weil and everyone I interviewed for the experiences and insights they shared.
Special thanks must go to Charles Clarke, Harvey Redgrave, (Baroness) Angela Smith, Jacqui Smith and Phil Woolas for extensive discussions. I owe further thanks to Phil Wilson, my good friend and local Member of Parliament for Sedgefield. We spent time campaigning on the 2015 election trail where immigration was an issue on the doorstep and I benefited from these conversations.
Perhaps the most significant influence on my thinking on these and other matters is (Lord) Bhikhu Parekh. He and I have been close friends for over a decade. Every meeting is like a reawakening for me where what is opaque becomes much clearer. When I think about my model of someone becoming British, he stands head and shoulders above the rest.
I offer special thanks – in a book like this – to Alan Johnson, who was Home Secretary when I received my indefinite leave to remain, and to Theresa May, who served as Home Secretary when I became a British citizen. Becoming British clearly made a deep impression on me and I’m honoured to have crossed the bridge before it became too great a barrier.
Further thanks must go to my editor, Caroline Wintersgill. I have wanted to work with her for some time. This book would never have come to be if not for her steady and strong support from the beginning, but also – no less importantly – for her constructive criticisms and really pushing me to improve each draft. My thanks also to the Biteback team, who have been a sheer joy to work with, including Victoria Gilder and Sam Jones. I am indebted especially to managing editor Olivia Beattie, who has helped me develop the final product far beyond its first draft. I could not have had better support.
Finally, my greatest debts are to my family and especially my wife Claire – and it is to her that I dedicate this book. I have learned much of what I know from her, not least how surprisingly different American English is from British English – there never cease to be new north-east words I have not heard once before and which continue to amaze me. We became British in different ways, but arrived at the same place, and I could not be happier for that.