I do wonder what the objective here is? I suppose millions more British citizens will ultimately decrease net migration by simple maths alone while also filling the coffers a little through all the applications.

There must be millions of people out there who are British citizens without even knowing. It's not like the rules are simple either (depending on when you were born, whether parents were married, etc.).

Oh wow I wasn't aware of that, sorry. Yeah so the options are lie or fork out and go through all the stress. Although I do wonder how all this will work in practice? The UK would never have known my children even exist if I hadn't applied for passports.

If you wish to exercise rights as a British citizen, e.g. live and work in the UK without restriction and stay there beyond six months, then you and your children will need a UK passport. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter.

Ah I see, yeah it does seem very unnecessary. Although the way I interpret it, you will still be able to travel to the UK on your EU passports, just you will need an ETA. You won't be blocked from entering.

Oh good, that‘s fortunate. I must say the process was excellent, and relatively quick (although, you‘re right, there may be a backlog now). HMPO did lose our original marriage certificate though! Not a massive deal but kind of annoying.

Are you British by birth, as in were you born in the UK to British parents? If so your child is automatically a British citizen and always will be. No reg. needed. You just need to prove it through birth/marriage certificates, etc. They‘re surprisingly easy to get online and sent to you by post.

If this is their first one, be ready to order your parents‘ birth certificates (actually surprisingly cheap and easy) and certified translations of their birth certificates and your marriage certificate (provided they‘re not in English). We did all this last year and it took some time!

You know you‘re in trouble when someone uses the word "numbnuts" in your replies

...assistant suggested that, on top of an all-expenses-paid trip to the FA Cup Final and meeting members of the Royal Family(!), the ACTUAL FA CUP should be named after him. Oh yeah and he wanted a knighthood too. He voted for Russia in the end.

I don't think the hubris will ever not be astonishing. You think they can't be so brazen, but they just always are. Another (tangential) example from football was when the English FA were hunting for votes from the FIFA ExCo to host the 2018 World Cup. The Paraguayan FIFA delegate, or rather his..

Absolutely. Particularly Hugo who seems compelled to provide running colour commentary on his own Traitors appearance.

In the middle of Covid I travelled to the UK and had like four hours to kill before my night train to Amsterdam. Watched No Time to Die in Nuremberg - needed to be double-vaxed and same-day-tested. Only person there, it was bloody great.

Ah man, I LOVE nights like that. Same happened to me for Casino Royale on opening night. Huge multiplex, every seat was taken, ushers at the doors showing you to your row. Massive buzz.

Yeah the Danes did this (under a far-right populist government). Or at least said that they would do this, to deter asylum seekers.

Geht übrigens rechtlich ab 7 Jahre, wegen der beschränkter Geschäftsfähigkeit (Rechtsgeschäfte mit Elternzustimmung möglich)

And not only watch. BBC Radio Five Live just incredible all weekend. Sport is better on the radio, especially when Mark Chapman, Ian Carter and the team are delivering it. This level of coverage sinply doesn‘t exist in other countries. I feel lucky to have it.

I don‘t even massively like watching golf, but this is quite clearly one of the best tournaments in any sport. Just unrivalled drama. And the partisan edge lends so much, especially compared to regular golf. An absolute joy to watch, once again.

Off-the-charts cringe. Imagine actually being American.

Never in doubt 🤝 #rydercup

Play up Vale

There was an astonishing vox pop on a recent Guardian daily pod in which a protester justified being a "normal, concerned person", and not far-right, by claiming that the government/Labour were in fact "far-left Marxists", placing him firmly in the centre of political discourse.

I would be interested in this too. Anecdotally, all of the people I knew who smoked regularly at that time now vape instead.

I once had one of these at the Monaco Grand Prix, of all places. A litre can! They sold them at a little kiosk next to the grandstand where we were sat, and it was actually decent value. Maybe €5? It was 2008 but still.

Test Match Special - England v India - 3rd Test, Day 5 - BBC Sounds Live ball-by-ball cricket commentary of England v India on the 5th day of the 3rd test.

From 7h30m here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Not sure if you heard it but Joe Root speaking about Shoaib Bashir on TMS after the match in much a similar vein. Go back and catch it if you can.

Incredible! The Friday afternoon pool Spezi+pint (normally a Weizen) combo has essentially become a family ritual for us!

Speed on the Pyramid Stage next year please

They are what they are now, and that’s fine. That was just so fucking cool. A hardcore band playing Sunday afternoon second stage Glastonbury! Mad.