FlyTheNest

Faisal Islam‏Verified account
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Oh dear. The official new Government online passport application service also refers to a picture of the old passport as “black” or blue - it is truly Orwellian to suggest “never been black” - it’s literally on the form.

It was in the early 20th century that passports as we would recognise them today began to be used. The first modern British passport, the product of the British Nationality and Status Aliens Act 1914, consisted of a single page, folded into eight and held together with a cardboard cover. It was valid for two years and, as well as a photograph and signature, featured a personal description, including details such as "shape of face", "complexion" and "features". The entry on this last category might read something like: "Forehead: broad. Nose: large. Eyes: small." Remarkably, some travellers claimed to find this dehumanising. Following an agreement among the League of Nations to standardise passports, the famous "old blue" was issued in 1920. Apart from a few adjustments to its duration and security features, the old blue remained a steady symbol of the touring Briton until it gradually began to be replaced by the burgundy-coloured European version in 1988.

George Peretz QC
@GeorgePeretzQC
1. It has been suggested that the Government wants to create enough new peers to ensure that the EU Withdrawal Bill passes through the HoL unscathed.
7:21 pm · 2 Jan 2018

HindleA wrote:HM Passport Office issued leaflet "Applying for a passport" refers to "old blue " as above ie.the term they use,they say it was blue.I think it was the dye they used;so it isn't burgundy it is red....

Willow904 wrote:

HindleA wrote:HM Passport Office issued leaflet "Applying for a passport" refers to "old blue " as above ie.the term they use,they say it was blue.I think it was the dye they used;so it isn't burgundy it is red....

I'm sure you're right that they were referred to as blue because of the dye used, but it is nevertheless hilarious that the government should excitedly declare we are getting "blue" passports back that no one can actually remember being blue, rather than "British" ones because, of course, they can't say that because they never stopped being British in the first place. It just so beautifully sums up how difficult it is for the government to triumphantly "take back" stuff we never actually lost.

Perhaps Brexit is not the moment for British politicians to admit they are swimming against inevitable tides of geopolitics. People busy recreating the past rarely have viable ideas for the nation’s future.

Labour has demanded Theresa May reverse the appointment of Toby Young to the board of the new universities regulator because of what it said was a history of “ homophobia and misogyny ”.

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Just thinking, and I should probably know this, but what happened to Eoin Clarke?

Toby Young is ideal man for university watchdog, says Boris Johnson

Foreign secretary backs controversial appointment, as government is criticised for exaggerating Young’s qualification (Guardian)

PorFavor wrote:We're all wrong, you know. Here's the proof -

Toby Young is ideal man for university watchdog, says Boris Johnson

Foreign secretary backs controversial appointment, as government is criticised for exaggerating Young’s qualification Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/ ... is-johnson

kath
✔
@KathyBurke

He's a cunt and so are you. " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
9:24 AM - Jan 3, 2018

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Always liked Kathy Burke tbh

Tubby Isaacs wrote:

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Always liked Kathy Burke tbh

Do you know Nil By Mouth?

His speech recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital breached international consensus and UN resolutions. But the latest move – a threat to cut funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, and to the Palestinian Authority – is more dangerous still, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the delicate mechanics that help maintain relative peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon has described the Trump Tower meeting between the president’s son and a group of Russians during the 2016 election campaign as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic”, according to an explosive new book seen by the Guardian.

HindleA wrote:"Burke won the Best Actress award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for her role in the gritty drama Nil by Mouth. Burke was so convinced she would not win that she made no plans to attend the ceremony; when told shortly beforehand she had won, she found her passport was out of date"

Here’s what Toby was saying about his tweets yesterday:

I’ve composed over 56,000 tweets and, if someone is prepared to spend hours trawling through them, it’s not altogether surprising if they come up with a few sophomoric, politically incorrect remarks. I regret these, obviously. I hope people will judge me on my actions, not on silly things I’ve tweeted or written in my 30-year career as a journalist

Windsor council leader calls for removal of homeless before royal wedding

Council’s Tory leader Simon Dudley is demanding police use legal powers to clear the area of homeless people by 19 May (Guardian)

SpinningHugo wrote:Very good indeed

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... emy-corbyn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and also

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/s ... ort-policy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pandering, empty, ill-thought out policies.

Still, who needs a decent opposition when we can have toby Young in charge of Universities?