MORE than three years on from the day the UK – not Scotland, of course – voted to leave the European Union, it can be a struggle to remember what it was all about in the first place.
Boosting the economy? The Westminster government’s own forecasts warn of disastrous consequences in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with economic stagnation expected even if a deal is agreed.
Improving sovereignty? Scotland faces being dragged out against its will, how’s that for sovereignty?
More money for the NHS? Printing it on the side of a bus doesn’t make it true.
READ MORE: SNP warn of ‘sheer havoc’ after No-Deal Brexit 'Yellowhammer' leak
No, the key motivation behind Brexit all along was passports. Slightly different passports.
Despite the UK’s continued membership of the EU, groundbreaking new travel documents without the European title were issued from March 30, the day after the initial Brexit deadline.
Even more excitingly for pocket-sized, leather-bound booklet enthusiasts, the fabled blue passports are due to be issued from the end of the year.
The symbol of the UK’s independence from Europe will be made by a French company, the Home Office has admitted.
READ MORE: Blue British post-Brexit passports to be made in France
But it would take more than that to dampen the spirits of chief passport fanatic and on/off politician Nigel Farage, who delighted social media users with a picture of him modelling the EU-less burgundy booklet.
We got our passports back! https://t.co/o1yhYdxl8z pic.twitter.com/FZ75CyvDd1
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 19, 2019
“We got our passport back!” he exclaimed – and without even having to leave the European Union!
Commenters on Twitters struggled to share the Brexit Party leader’s enthusiasm.
Writer Jonathan Coe got the ball rolling.
In exchange for the ones which used to give us the right to live and work in 27 other countries. Great swap, Nige. Nice work. https://t.co/JokayryPCs
— Jonathan Coe (@jonathancoe) August 19, 2019
In return for which the rest of us will have difficult getting the medicines we need. https://t.co/UwDPmV3xGv
— David Head (@DavidHeadViews) August 19, 2019
Eh? I thought it was all about them being blue? This looks exactly the same as the one I already have, except the two small words 'European Union' are missing from the cover. It's also the same colour, size and format as my new Finnish passport. Why was this important again? https://t.co/A2TgvZSfPv
— Jeremy Duns (@JeremyDuns) August 19, 2019
Anyone else get the feeling e could have prevented this whole farce if only someone had bought Nigel Farage a passport cover for Christmas one year? https://t.co/G3KnBMobyq
— Dan Gibson (@thefishareloose) August 19, 2019
Made up for you, Nige. Less made up for the millions of EU citizens suffocating with uncertainty, unable to plan for their futures, and the families that are about to be separated by hard borders, including mine 👍🏽 https://t.co/2j351SOiSa
— Lucy Pasha-Robinson (@LucyPasha) August 19, 2019
Any idea of its nutritional value? We'll need to know in a few weeks. https://t.co/4k8RkJX3mH
— Peter Smith (@Redpeter99) August 19, 2019
And all it took was every last ounce of your self-respect https://t.co/8CVpouvf2I
— Macca (@Macca_ISZ) August 19, 2019
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