As Mail petition hits 250k... new hope blue passports could still be made in UK
THE campaign to have Britain’s post-Brexit blue passports made in the UK received a boost last night after the deadline for challenging the decision to make them abroad was extended.
As the number of people backing the Daily Mail’s campaign stormed through the quarter of a million mark, the Home Office has extended the original deadline of tomorrow for another two weeks.
It gives De La Rue – the British firm which makes the current burgundy passports, and which has a factory in Gateshead where up to 200 jobs are at risk – more time to challenge the tender decision and prepare for a possible High Court showdown.
Since it was revealed 11 days ago that the Home Office’s preferred bidder for the £490 million contract is FrancoDutch firm Gemalto, more than 250,000 people have signed the Mail’s petition demanding a U-turn.
Labour MP John Spellar said: ‘ We should not even be at this stage – we should behave like every other major country and put British workers and British industry first.
‘But this is welcome news. It puts energy behind the campaign and it shows the Government, because of the campaigns by the Mail, the Mirror and Unite, the concern about this across the country and across the political spectrum. We need to make clear that people want the Government to back British industry and British workers.
‘We must not forget the main issue, which is that no other big country behaves like this. The US, the big countries of the EU, all put their own industries first. Only the British Civil Service puts foreign businesses and workers in front of their own.’ Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the US all make their own passports.
Tory peer Lord Naseby said: ‘This is a welcome pause in proceedings. There is no rush and we now have this interim period to make it clear the British public wants their blue passports produced in the UK. We don’t want a French passport, we can see that from the Daily Mail’s campaign.
‘I have written to the Prime Minister and hope she will review the whole thing and look at this and realise the security dimensions.’
The former MP added that he had tabled two questions in the House of Lords demanding answers from the Government over the implications to security of having the documents made abroad. The Home Office says the outsourcing move would save up to £120 million over 12 years. It says the process is secure and that passport personalisation pages will still be done in the UK.
The development comes after the Mail’s offices were swamped with thousands of letters supporting our campaign, which was praised in the Commons last week. More than 250,000 people have signed up online or sent in our coupons, along with letters of support.
Labour MP Liz Twist, whose constituency houses the Gateshead factory, said: ‘We need more time to talk about this contract and to explain why we think it’s the wrong decision. People are devastated about the news and what it means for their futures, but they are also really proud of what they do. They are providing a great service very securely and returning money to the taxpayer through a gain share agreement.’
MPs are hoping for a full parliamentary debate on the issue and for the Home Office to provide more information when MPs return after the Easter recess on April 16. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Following a request from a bidder we have agreed to extend the standstill period. All bidders have been notified.’
‘A welcome pause in proceedings’
TO stop their hostile takeover of GKN being blocked on national security grounds, the asset strippers of Melrose say they’ll offer a legally-binding commitment not to sell the firm’s key aerospace division for five years.
But why should the Government listen to a word these sharks say?
They are determined to dismember this great company to make a £285million killing. Whether that happens in three years or five, it’s still an abuse of capitalism. WHAT a magnificent roar from Mail readers against the blue passport being made in Europe. More than 250,000 of you have now signed our petition to have the passports made here. And it CAN make a difference. Yesterday there was fresh hope, with the extension of the deadline for challenging the decision. It’s still not too late to sign up – and put even more pressure on the Government to correct this terrible and unpatriotic mistake.