Call for immigration levels to be slashed

In an annual report on British social attitudes, 46 per cent of people said Britain's cultural life had been generally undermined by migrants and 52 per cent thought it had been bad for the economy.

Asked if the number of immigrants to Britain should change, 63 per cent of people in the West Midlands said it should fall 'a lot'.

The West Midlands was broadly in line with the rest of the country however only 26 per cent of people in inner London felt the same way.

The survey is the 31st annual report by NatCen Social Research, Britain's largest independent social research organisation.

It reveals that more people than a decade ago now believe people should speak English and live in Britain to be considered British. The figure stands at 95 per cent for people expecting that anyone truly British should speak English compared with 86 per cent in 2003.

More than three quarters of people, 77 per cent, say that someone should also have lived in Britain most their life to be truly British while 74 per cent say it is important to be born in Britain to be considered British.

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Around half, 51 per cent said it was important to have British ancestry but just 24 per cent said people needed to be Christian to be considered British.

The survey showed the public was concerned about levels of immigration and so-called 'benefits tourism' with 61 per cent of people saying anyone from another European Union country should wait three years or more to be able to claim benefits.

Penny Young, chief executive of NatCen, said: "In an increasingly diverse, multi-cultural country, we might expect people to be more relaxed about what it means to be British, yet the trend is going in the opposite direction.

"It is now harder to be considered British than in the past and one message comes through loud and clear, if you want to be British, you must speak English.

"And as we debate whether UKIP's vote will hold up in the General Election, the survey shows that the public is yet to be convinced that politicians have got a grip on immigration.

"They want tougher rules on benefits and many are unaware of the policies that are in place to control immigration."

Paul Uppal, MP for Wolverhampton South West, said: "There is debate now about a sense of British values and what Britishness is. As a country we've been quite sensitive about it in the recent past.

"I'd also like to see reform to the principles of free movement in the European Union and I think that is something most people would want as well."

The survey also found that more Scots believe Trident nuclear missiles should stay in the country if it becomes independent than think the weapons should be removed. Two fifths of people north of the border said that if there is a Yes vote in September's referendum, Britain's nuclear submarines - currently sited on the Faslane base on the Clyde - could continue to be based there.

In England and Wales, just over a quarter of people agree that Britain's nuclear weapons should continue to be based in Scotland if it becomes a separate country, while 63 per cent said they should either 'definitely' or 'probably' be moved elsewhere.