Plans to make school-leavers swear an oath of allegiance to Queen and country as a way of enhancing British citizenship were unravelling last night under a barrage of criticism in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Nationalist politicans in Wales and Scotland pledged to use their devolved powers to block the plan. And a nationalist politican in Northern Ireland said that any attempt to force an oath to the Queen and United Kingdom on the Province would be “divisive and dangerous”.

The response leaves one of the key ideas of Gordon Brown’s Britishness initiative in shreds. The idea has been seen by some as a way for the Prime Minister to improve his credentials with Middle England, yet the response threatens to draw attention to his Scottishness.

Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, led the attack on the proposal, which comes in a far-reaching review of citizenship carried out by Lord Goldsmith, QC, the former Attorney-General.

Mr Salmond dimissed the oath idea as “Monty Pythonesque” adding that some of the suggestions in the review looked like political desperation rather than a properly thought through plan for citizenship.One senior source said that it was the Scottish Parliament, not Westminster, that decided what went on in Scotland’s schools.

Lord Goldsmiths’ review, which is aimed at boosting British pride, also recommended creating a new national day, ending voting rights for Commonwealth citizens and Irish Republic citizens in Westminster elections and giving people financial incentives to be good citizens by discounts on their council tax and student loans.

His report said that a new national day should be modelled on Australia Day, when citizens affirm their loyalty and celebrate the country’s successes. He recognised the sensitivity of the idea, however, in the report, which said: “There were undoubtedly issued raised about how a national day would be received in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland”.

Mr Brown’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister very much welcomes Lord Goldsmith’s review. It has a number of interesting proposals in it and no doubt there will be a debate about them.”

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