Brexit emojis condemned as 'divisive, dangerous'

Theresa May

European MPs have condemned plans of an Italian firm to create official Brexit and Remain emojis as "divisive and dangerous", the media reported on Sunday.

The new characters are dubbed as the Brexit Bulldog and Starry Blue, reports the Guardian.

A paid-for app download is due to be launched on Sunday, giving people the option to use the emojis to give their social-media profiles a Brexit "brand identity".

Brexit is one of the most used words in British social-media conversations and the developers believe that if this can be monetised, the proceeds could be enormous.

Brexit Bulldog sports a Churchillian cigar and bowler hat, exuding defiant belligerence.

By contrast, Starry Blue has the yellow stars of the European flag for eyes and wears a French beret and a broad grin.

Negotiations were under way with software companies to install the emojis.

Users could pay for them or gain access for free by completing a quiz about their politics.

But the MPs have attacked the company after plans for the "Brexiji" app were leaked to the all-party parliamentary group on new social media.

The European Collective - a group of pro-Brexit Conservative MPs - and the Remain Group - an umbrella organisation representing pro-EU MPs - both condemned the app as "making money out of politics", the Guardian reported.

"Nobody who campaigned in the referendum wanted to give shadowy organisations the chance to exploit British voters," the groups said in a joint statement. "Brexit is far too serious a matter for foolish jokes."