Call by 227,000 Mail readers to make blue passports in Britain is hailed in Commons

THE Daily Mail petition demanding that Britain’s post-Brexit passports are made in the UK has been praised in Parliament – and has passed 227,000 signatures.

Labour MP Ian Mearns highlighted the Mail’s battle in the Commons as he criticised the Government’s passport policy as ‘a sham’.

More than 206,000 readers have signed up online, calling for new blue passports to be made in Britain, with another 20,748 writing to us – and thousands more letters have not yet been counted.

The Home Office wants the Franco-Dutch company Gemalto to make Britain’s passports from October next year, putting up to 200 jobs at its British rival De La Rue at risk in the North East.

De La Rue is thought to have scored highest among all the bidders for the quality of its work, but it was beaten by Gemalto on price.

However, the Home Office says outsourcing abroad will save up to £120million over 12 years.

Mr Mearns, MP for Gateshead and chairman of the backbench business committee, said: ‘The Daily Mail petition opposing this decision has now passed 200,000 signatures.

‘It is right that as we leave the EU we continue to maintain close relationships with our neighbours and allies.

‘But this Government has serious questions to answer over the assessment, or apparent lack of assessment, of the economic impact this decision will have on the North East.’

He also hit out at the soaring cost of applications, which will earn an extra £50million for the Passport Office during the next financial year.

The price of online applications has increased by nearly 4 per cent, or 17 per cent for postal applications and 27 per cent for children’s passports. The changes came in on Tuesday.

Mr Mearns added: ‘What a sham that the Government can claim to be getting the deal for its people when in fact it’s raising costs and exporting British jobs at the same time.’

He said France would ‘never countenance’ having its passports made abroad, while Germany, Italy and Spain also print their own passports.

Calling for the contract’s finalisation to be halted so a full parliamentary debate can take place after the Easter recess, which ends on April 16, Mr Mearns added: ‘There needs to be a more robust debate and better solution than currently planned.’ De La Rue has until Tuesday to lodge an appeal against the Home Office’s choice of Gemalto.

Industry figures believe up to 400 related businesses could be affected by the decision to have passports made abroad.

Labour’s business spokesman Rebecca Long-Bailey said: ‘There needs to be an approach that looks at the impact on our national economy rather than looking for the cheapest offer on the table.

‘We now want to see detail from the Government about this, it’s important we get the opportunity to speak on this.’

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: ‘There is growing momentum behind the Daily Mail campaign to get our passports printed in this country – and quite right too. We are following the culture of EU procurement rules, that’s what we do, we tender out across Europe regardless of security, regardless of symbolism.

‘The fact we’re printing these passports there, is a symptom of EU membership and shows why we have to leave and start rethinking our lives.’

Apart from 200 De La Rue jobs in Gateshead, there are also fears for the 90 workers at the firm’s paper mill in Bathford, Somerset, and workers at the passport personalisation centre at Heywood in Greater Manchester.

Comment – Page 18

‘Exporting British jobs’