Migrants will reportedly be expected to learn English to A level standard to work in Britain ...

 

New government proposals state that to work in Britain immigrants must have at least A level standard English.  We interviewed a Spain immigrant working in a small hotel in the south coast of England.  

We asked him in English if he thought he could pass such a rigorous test.  

He said "Qué?".  

Manual from the Spanish city of Barcelona has been working at a small boutique hotel in Torquay since 1974.  His English is still remedial.

With the help of part-time American maid Polly who is bilingual we enquired again (in Spanish) if Manuel thought he could pass Mr Starmer's new rigorous tests. 

He said "Si".  

Sceptical hotel owner Mr Basil Fawlty responded caustically that "Manuel, you know nothing".  

To which Manuel responded "You always say Mr Fawlty but I learn. I learn, I learn, I get better". 

Mrs Fawlty the owner's wife responded that Manuel was very hard working and loyal but Mr Fawlty still retained reservations saying that "it would have been easier to train a chimpanzee" whilst also admitting that Manuel was cheap.