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Louise Mensch seeks US citizenship Louise Mensch seeks US citizenship
(about 7 hours later)
The former conservative MP Louise Mensch has said she will be applying to be a US citizen and has not ruled out a move into American politics. The former Conservative MP Louise Mensch has said she will be applying to be a US citizen and has not ruled out a move into American politics.
After quitting her Corby seat last summer to move across the Atlantic to be closer to her American husband, music manager Peter Mensch, the former fiction author (nee Bagshaw), revealed in a Sunday Times interview with one of American's most celebrated immigrant-turned-politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger, that she had decided to apply for full citizenship After quitting her Corby seat last summer to move across the Atlantic to be closer to her American husband, music manager Peter Mensch, the former fiction author (nee Bagshaw) revealed in a Sunday Times interview with one of American's most celebrated immigrants-turned-politicians, Arnold Schwarzenegger, that she had decided to apply for full citizenship.
Mensch said she was applying for a full passport out of love of her new home and had no qualms about swearing a US oath of loyalty.Mensch said she was applying for a full passport out of love of her new home and had no qualms about swearing a US oath of loyalty.
"I will apply for US citizenship… as my husband and three children are all Americans – the children of course all have dual citizenship– and it seems wrong to be the only non-American in the family," she told the Guardian. "I will apply for US citizenship … as my husband and three children are all Americans – the children of course all have dual citizenship– and it seems wrong to be the only non-American in the family," she told the Guardian.
"Of course I will remain a British citizen and am endlessly patriotic and proud. But I love America and now it is my family.""Of course I will remain a British citizen and am endlessly patriotic and proud. But I love America and now it is my family."
The former parliamentarian said she had not previously taken up the chance to become a citizen following her first marriage to property developer Anthony LoCicero because of terms of the US oath, which calls for renouncing "fidelity" to other nations. The former parliamentarian said she had not previously taken up the chance to become a citizen following her first marriage to property developer Anthony LoCicero because of the terms of the US oath, which calls for renouncing "fidelity" to other nations. "It was the oath of allegiance that stopped me from taking citizenship the first time around," she said.
"It was the oath of allegiance that stopped me from taking citizenship the first time around," she said. As an MP, Mensch swore an oath to be "be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors" before taking up her seat in parliament.
As an MP, Mensch swore an oath to be "...be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors" before taking up her seat in parliament. However, to become a US citizen, Mensch must state she will "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen".
However to become a US citizen Mensch must state she will "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen." "Having parsed the words very carefully," Mensch said, "they call for me to renounce my allegiance to any 'prince, potentate, state or sovereignty', and since Her Majesty is none such, I do not regard them as being treacherous.
"Having parsed the words very carefully," Mensch said, "they call for me to renounce my allegiance to any 'prince, potentate, state or sovereignty' and since Her Majesty is none such, I do not regard them as being treacherous."
"If it said 'King or Queen' I would have more difficulty. So as written, I feel I can swear the oath with a good conscience," she said."If it said 'King or Queen' I would have more difficulty. So as written, I feel I can swear the oath with a good conscience," she said.
Asked if the move to citizenship signaled a desire to enter US politics like her professed hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born actor turned Republican Californian governor, she said: "You never rule anything out. But I've got no plans whatsoever in that direction." Asked if the move to citizenship signalled a desire to enter US politics like her professed hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born actor turned Republican Californian governor, she said: "You never rule anything out. But I've got no plans whatsoever in that direction."
She added: "It's five years to citizenship, goodness knows what, if anything, I will be doing by then. That's not the reason I am applying. I'm rather more annoyed that [US] immigration reform won't pass in time for me to vote in the 2016 election. She added: "It's five years to citizenship. Goodness knows what, if anything, I will be doing by then. That's not the reason I am applying. I'm rather more annoyed that [US] immigration reform won't pass in time for me to vote in the 2016 election.
"Taking citizenship is more about loving America, being proud of America and aspiring to be an American. That's why I'm doing it.""Taking citizenship is more about loving America, being proud of America and aspiring to be an American. That's why I'm doing it."
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