Sturgeon brands the return of blue passports ‘insular nonsense’

GAVIN CORDON SALLY WARDLE

The old passport cover before it was replaced with the burgundy EU version.

new security measures to protect against fraud and forgery.”

The new passports will be phased in after the UK leaves the EU on March 29, 2019.

Burgundy passports will continue to be issued, although without the European Union markings, until the current supplier’s contract expires in October 2019.

Blue was first used for the cover of the British passport in 1921, but the design changed in 1988 after the UK joined the European Economic Community and burgundy was chosen as the common colour.

Among the new design features will be a new picture page made of a “super-strength plastic polycarbonate material that will be more difficult to alter”, the Home Office said.

The move was warmly welcomed by Brexit supporters, with Tory MP Andrew Rosindell describing it as “a great Christmas present for the British people”.

He said: “For 30 years we’ve had a passport which had to be harmonised with the rest of the EU. There was no need for it, it was purely another way for the EU to take control of things.”

However Conservative MP Anna Soubry, a Remain supporter, tweeted: “Stand by for street parties as blue passports return. Not sure they’ll make up for broken #Leave promise of extra £350m a week for #NHS.”

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband described the blue passport as an “expression of how mendacious” and “absurd” Britain now looks to the world.

Nicola Sturgeon criticised the rush to return to the old style blue UK passport after the UK leaves the EU.