Westministenders: Rebel Rebel Your Brexit is a Mess.

[RedToothBrush]

Hot Tramp, I love you so!

The European Parliament have agreed to progress talks to the next stage. Despite Brexiteers saying its not legally binding, it is apparent that the EU certainly disagree.

Not only that, but the wording of the deal goes further. It binds us to not being able to agree and new trade deals for 2 years.

The All Important Amendment 7 to the Great Repel Bill has been successful. May’s power grab has a set back.

By just FOUR votes the government was defeated. How May will be regretting that pointless election tonight.

Parliament will have a meaningful vote on the exit terms.

But don’t be too excited. Brussels might not like this as May can not guarantee the UK will agree to a deal. It means the the EU are negotiating with parliament NOT May now.

There is also the suggestion that the mood of parliament is changing and is beginning to lean more towards a EFTA / EEA type deal.

But equally this could also send us to the brink with a deal from the EU that could be rejected by parliament.

The stakes just got higher.

Indeed, we can't go back to the old passports with the little windows in the front covers and photos stuck in, because the size is an ICAO standard - which most countries quote as metric measures, but the US converts into inches.

UK passports are currently printed by De La Rue. Who in fairness sound French, but are HQd here. They also print our notes apparently. However the licence from 2019 is out for tender throughout the EU, so post brexit UK true blues passports may be printed elsewhere. Would be amusing to see those sorts of people talking about their increase quality if they're printed elsewhere 😂

Theresa May
@theresa_may
The UK passport is an expression of our independence and sovereignty – symbolising our citizenship of a proud, great nation. That's why we have announced that the iconic #bluepassport will return after we leave the European Union in 2019.

Though to come full circle. The minister 'responsible' for awarding the De La Rue contract for passport printing was... Damien Green.

I wonder if he was too busy elsewhere to look at the printing quality

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/blue-passports-facts_uk_5a3cc0d6e4b06d1621b36718

Wonder what the government's doing while we all contemplate the colour of our passport.

Just coming back to a PP's comment about the tattiness of EU passports, my British passport is a far lower quality than any of the other EU passports in my household. The cover is thinner and the gold wore off after only a couple of years. I've still got a few years to run but it is looking decidedly tatty and dog-eared, compared to the Italian ones. For the money I had to shell out for the bugger I would have expected much better standards of workmanship.

Comment in the Italian press that blue and gold are the EU colours, so it could be seen as an involuntary homage to the EU. Maybe someone e should tell Nige?

I've made a point of using my other passport for everything since the referendum. It still seems to pass verifications needed for online ID checks.

Thinking about it I never knew the passport colour was such a big deal for people until 6 months ago. I have certainly never heard anyone mention it in real life. If it was in aibu pre referendum it would be referred to as as first world problem, given the amount of people around the world whose passport entitles them to nothing compared to ours.

Perhaps we should start a campaign for stripy passports or polka dots. That might be fun.

A paisley pattern would be nice. Or houndstooth check. Très chic.

Or a poem of your choice printed on the back so you have something to read in the shiny new long immigration queues.

Tartan ?

How about devising an "app" (because everything is apps now days) that lets you design your own passport cover. I'm sure for the eye-watering amount you just know de la Rue will charge, it could be covered.

Or alternatively, just up the price of the passport, and use it to pay for Brexit.

A poem may not be long enough. We'd need something War and Peace like in length. However, this could make the passports chunky and difficult to fit in your hand luggage. No matter, there probably won't be any flights for a while, it will all be ferries again.

Tartan is too Scottish LH, and could be embarrassing should they secede in the coming years.

Merry Christmas everyone
🎄🎁🎉

Tartan is too Scottish LH

I thought - like most things "Scottish" it was a Victorian invention ?

(Prepares to duck )

The Rainbow Passport from The Brexit comic on Facebook is jolly good.

"Barely United Kingdom of Great Britain and the DUP".

(Can't copy and paste the picture for some reason.)

My UK passport expires next year, so perhaps I will have an EU/UK version when I renew. But AAAAARGH. Just AAAARGH. At everything (but I may have been on the Prosecco).

Quite. Would have been as lot easier and cheaper if they had done this in the first place

Theresa May is talking rubbish, as she probably knows.
The UK passport is an expression of our independence and sovereignty – symbolising our citizenship of a proud, great nation. That's why we have announced that the iconic #bluepassport will return after we leave the European Union in 2019.

She should know that we could have ones with blue covers now if we wanted to.

passport first imposed from abroad

I wonder if Viviennemary is happy to have passports in a form largely dictated to us by the Americans? Is she happy having to kowtow to the Americans?
Why don't we go the whole hog and say that we want entirely our own design, and after all most of us don't travel to the US so visa wavers aren't a big deal.

I believe the Norwegians have some natty passport designs - I think you get a choice. Can't imagine them doing that here.

"Barely United Kingdom of Great Britain and the DUP".

I didn't know Tartan was a Victorian invention . The things you learn. The question is, was it invented by Queen Victoria, an Englishman abroad or a real Scottish person?

Maybe now the swivel eyes have got their blue passports we can call the rest of Brexit off?

Just been pondering on how insecure you have to be to feel humiliated by the fact your passport is pink. Even though its not pink but burgundy.