Blue passport to a post-Brexit future away from the EU
BLUE passports will make a return next month after being dropped for the EU’s burgundy design more than 30 years ago.
British holidaymakers will be able travel the world using the traditional blue and gold UK travel documents within weeks after the Government signed off the new version.
The revamped passport is one of the most symbolic changes to herald Britain’s future outside the EU after Brexit.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel brandished copies as they landed on their desks yesterday. Ms Patel said: “Leaving the European Union gave us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path in the world.
Identity
“By returning to the iconic blue and gold design, the British passport will once again be entwined with our national identity and I cannot wait to travel on one.”
The burgundy document approved by Brussels caused upset among Eurosceptics when it was introduced in 1988. Brussels later floated plans to remove the Queen’s crest to make it more European and to end use of the phrase “Her Britannic Majesty” in the documents.
Passport applicants will be able to get their hands on the new version early next month and by summer all travellers who need to renew their current one will be issued with the design.
The blue cover marks a return to the original appearance of the British passport, first used in 1921.
As well as the colour change, the back cover of the new passports will now feature embossed floral emblems of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The blue document also has green credentials, because it is more environmentally friendly.
That is because the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the manufacturing process will be offset through green projects, such as tree planting.
Burgundy passport holders will be able to continue to use them until the document expires, meaning some will be travelling on the old-style design until 2030.