‘National Humiliation’ as New Blue Passport Contract Goes to EU

A decision to produce the UK's new dark blue passports outside the UK has been described as "a national humiliation" by former Cabinet Minister and leading Brexit campaigner Priti Patel

A few months ago it was confirmed that Britain was going back to the old blue passport after its exit from the EU, but now it is being reported that the contract for the new blue passports is going to a company called Gemalto, with a base in Paris and its headquarters in Amsterdam and listed in the French and Dutch stock exchanges. Gemalto is apparently favourite to win the contract, reportedly in the region of £490 million, to produce the new passports.

Added former Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel: “This should be a moment we should be celebrating. The return of our iconic blue passport will re-establish the British identity. But to be putting the job in the hands of the French is simply astonishing. It is a national humiliation.”

However, according to the Home Office no final decision has yet been made.

“We are running a fair and open competition to ensure that the new contract delivers a high quality and secure product and offers the best value for money for customers.

“We do not require passports to be manufactured in the UK. A proportion of blank passport books are currently manufactured overseas, and there are no security or operational reasons why this would not continue.”

A UK-based company, De La Rue, who first produced a UK passport in 1915 and have had a long-standing contract to produce UK passports, appear now to have lost out to a the EU based company, particularly infuriating the pro-Brexit camp.

Added a Home Office spokesperson: “All passports will continue to be personalised with the holder’s details in the United Kingdom, meaning that no personal data will leave the UK.

“We do not require passports to be manufactured in the UK. A proportion of blank passport books are currently manufactured overseas, and there are no security or operational reasons why this would not continue.”

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