HOW THE ROW UNFOLDED

JUNE 2009 – British firm De La Rue wins £400million, ten-year contract to supply the UK’s new biometric passports. DECEMBER 2017 – Home Office announces Britain’s new post-Brexit passports will return to their original blue colour. The passports became burgundy after the UK joined the EU. MARCH 22, 2018 – It emerges ministers have decided to give the £490million contract to print the passports to Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto. MARCH 24 – Daily Mail launches petition calling for the passports to be made here. APRIL 2 – Home Office extends original deadline for challenging the decision to make the passports abroad by two weeks.

APRIL 3 – De La Rue suggests Gemalto’s £490million bid, which undercut its rivals by £50million, was deliberately below cost price.

APRIL 4 – Security fears over the new passports mount as it emerges that Gemalto supplied Estonia with as many as 750,000 ID cards with security flaws.

APRIL 5 – Daily Mail delivers petition, signed by over 300,000 readers, to No 10.

APRIL 17 – Home Office’s final deadline for challenging the contract decision.