April 2019 – The first UK passports without the wording “European Union” have appeared. They are made in the EU, and still burgundy red before turning blue in the autumn. The UK is still in the EU, of course, before being kicked out in the following summer! (original post 30/12/17) (edited 2025) If you […]
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Brexit Musings (11) – Blue Is The Colour, Brexit Is The Game
One of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport. – Brandon Lewis (Immigration minister) In its first major announcement for getting a “country that works for everyone“, the UK government has announced the re-emergence of the giant hogweed, once labelled as Britain’s most dangerous plant. Touch it once, and you […]
Brexit Musings (10) – A Happy BreXmas To You Too, Mrs May
Now Theresa – May I call you Theresa? Thank you so much for your personal Christmas letter addressed to hundreds of thousands of poor innocent mugs like me, who couldn’t vote in a referendum that we never asked for. I hope you don’t mind if I distort just a teeny-weeny little bit, your much thought […]
Citizens’ Rights Have Been Swept Under The Carpet
Whereas 23rd June 2016 will be remembered as one of the blackest days of our lives, as EU citizens in the UK and Brits in the EU, the announcement of a last-minute agreement “securing” citizens’ rights, will probably rank as being “very dark grey”. Two things come to mind when analysing the outcome of this […]
Brexit Musings (9): Catfight In Brussels – Seconds Out, Round 6
The sixth round of the Brexit negotiations took place on 9th and 10th November, and brought absolutely nothing new. Well, you didn’t really expect them to reach an agreement on something as trivial as citizens’ rights, did you? My advice for all Brits on the continent is, get a second nationality…and quick, because time […]
Brexit Musings (8): Ain’t Britain Got Culture, No More?
Riches And Stitches in the EU It’s quite interesting to see how different European countries tackle the outcome of a general election that didn’t quite go to plan. It seems that, nowadays, the electorate want a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and end up getting nothing. Dutch politicians rhymed their way […]
Two Of A Kind – Mutual Recognition Of Professional Qualifications Post-Brexit
One of the cornerstones of the European Union, concerns free movement of labour, and the freedom for the self-employed to establish themselves in other Member States. In both cases, the basic objective is that all EU nationals be treated equally. Article 57 of the Treaty on European Union empowers the Council of Ministers to issue […]
Brexit Musings (7) : Sparks and Larks in the City of Westminster
When I was a child, I used to cry my eyes out on Bonfire night. I was terrified of fireworks and had to stay inside and watch behind the safety of a closed window. For those of you who may not be familiar with this, Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night, is celebrated in the […]
Brexit Musings (6) – Anyone For Tennis?
Game, set, and match First off, a dose of double-dutch. Incredibly enough, the Dutch have actually got a government, after how many days? 208 to be precise. And the Dutch economy was doing so well without one. Now, we have a four-party coalition ready to screw things up. That’s politics for you. The UK government’s […]
Brexit Musings (5) – Brexit In America And “Eggs Florentine”
I read an interesting piece in the Mail On Sunday, the other day. And there was I, thinking that the Mail On Sunday, like the Daily Mail, was as far anti-EU as you could get, until an erroneous comment of mine, posted on Facebook, got corrected by someone who’s more familiar with the antics of the […]