Peter Rhodes: 'All hail the new blue passport, the symbol of the UK finally divorcing the EU'

ALL hail the new blue passport, the visible symbol of the UK finally divorced from the EU. In the great scheme of things, the colour of a document that most of us use only once or twice a year may seem insignificant. But such things matter, if only to reassure 17 million voters that HMS Brexit, having been tied to the EU quayside in miles of red tape for the past 18 months, is about to set sail.

HAVING got our spanking new passport, can someone please invent a passport photograph that doesn't make you look like a corpse?

• POLL: Does the colour of your passport matter to you?

CONFUSING headlines department. This, from the Daily Mail: "More than 40 per cent of doctors were trained abroad in parts of UK."

THE row over the collapse of Metropolitan Police prosecutions for rape looks like a classic case of backside-kicking gone wrong. It goes like this. Pressure groups and lobbyists kick the backsides of politicians because not enough men are being convicted of rape. The politicians kick the chief constables who kick their superintendents who in turn kick their inspectors, sergeants and constables with the stern order to get more rape convictions. And then, either deliberately or by oversight or pressure of work, some crucial evidence is found to be deeply dodgy and prosecutions start collapsing. Result: another round of backside kicking and the sacking of minions.

THERE is another way to convict more rapists. Sex offenders tend to be repeat offenders but, as with all defendants, their past record is kept secret from the jury during the trial. If there was total disclosure of the defendant's criminal record at the start of every rape trial, I bet the number of guilty pleas would double. The whole truth? I can't see the legal profession accepting that, can you?

WE don't yet know what the BBC means by its plan to "enhance" the representation of religion on TV and radio dramas and documentaries. As I noted some time ago, there is a desperate ignorance in this country about the basics of religion. Expressions such as "the wisdom of Solomon" or "the patience of Job," once universally understood, today mean nothing to millions of folk. The religion that once lay at the heart of our culture, language and legal system is virtually unknown. And if the Beeb aims to educate viewers about the history and influence of faith, good luck to it. We should all know the basics of the world's great religions, their heroes, festivals and traditions, just as we should all know about world history. But there is a huge difference between explaining and preaching. In a diverse country in the 21st century, there must be no place on publicly-funded TV and radio for God-botherers trying to spread the word and save souls.

AND if the Beeb, heaven forbid, is seriously thinking of providing a platform for religious indoctrination, let me be the first to demand equal treatment for rain dancing, leprechauns and the Tooth Fairy.