Passports

The question about passports should be!! Why are they more expensive to manufacture in the U.K.? I think everyone would prefer them to be made here, But what would you do, if yeh got 3 estimates? Go for the most expensive? I think not.
 
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Have' nt they been made abroad already? I thought they only started making some here a few years ago when De La Rue won a contract back.
 
I wonder how long it will take for the French to loose some of these passports and give them to the immigrants
 
De La Rue got the contract in 2009 and currently (according to the report) 20% of new passports are made abroad. The contract was awarded to Gemalto as they were allowed to apply under European Procurement Rules which we are subject to until March 2019 and may continue to be subject to during any Transition period, (my thoughts only)
As pro Brexit ex cabinet minister Priti Patel is quoted as saying the decision to hand the new contract to a foreign firm was "disgraceful" and "perverse".
I still find irony in the issue that a contract is given to an EU company when we are in a discussion period with them to go our separate ways.
 
I can only hope that the Govt has got a fixed-price contract.
Unfortunately, given the evidence of the past 40 years, when (and if) we finally get out of the EU, I suspect the French will add on extra costs, for dealing with a country outside the so-called single market, and Whitehall will be stupid and craven enough to pay them.
 
Apparently the bids were anonymised so that could be no favouritism...so it did not become clear who had won the contract until after they had chosen the most competitive option.
People in the UK pay more for their passport tham any other country in Europe.

Also, I think that this company has had their files hacked by GCHQ...so that is not good is it?

I no longer have a passport, but if I did, I would like to think that it was manufactured here in this country.
 
If that's the case, they must have known they were giving the contract to a French country. Amber Rudd signed this one off, she must be as thick as mince if she thinks this decision is going to be popular
 
cashman said:
The question about passports should be!! Why are they more expensive to manufacture in the U.K.? I think everyone would prefer them to be made here, But what would you do, if yeh got 3 estimates? Go for the most expensive? I think not.
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Why should we need passports any way, all we needed for a long time was was an Enfield rifle with 2ft of shining steel, I've never owned a passport, but ave bin tu frog land more than once,
We are British they should gratefull we even acknowledge their existance, never mind changing their nappies and drying their tears, the germans are hitting us again, Help. Bloody ungratefull barstools.
 
hilleluk said:
If that's the case, they must have known they were giving the contract to a French country. Amber Rudd signed this one off, she must be as thick as mince if she thinks this decision is going to be popular
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If the bids were anonymised as it is alleged, then she could not have known.
I a. Sure that she knows this will be an unpopular decision.
The only way that this could have been avoided was to make sure there were no foreign candidates tendering bids for the job...but I somehow think that contravenes EU rules.


This does not mean that the decision cannot be reversed, but they chose the cheapest tender that fulfilled the criteria.
 
A good topic to raise given the current climate.
Firstly I don't believe in anonymous bids. Sorry should rephrase that. Anyone who thinks that anonymous bids are anonymous is welcome to look at the green cheese in the sky at night.
Secondly. Brexit. getting all our stuff back. Blue passports yup I will be having one as will be the good lady but how has a Johnny foreigner company undercut De La Rue by 120 million, I mean that's not small change, its not a couple of quid is it. Did they know the Governments top end pre the bid?
Thirdly. British company based on Tyneside, 600 British jobs its a no brainer but again why was De La Rues offer so over the top. Did they play it wrong and expect the contract and put a little more on top then they should have.
Hopefully some civil servant who has a pair and the nouse goes to De La Rue and says "Give your heads a shake, drop your price a bit and the jobs yours". I mean this isn't going to be a one off or short term thing. Anyway lets hope common sense prevails here.
 
Gordon Booth said:
Apparently the French company is state owned so does'nt need to make a profit to survive.
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So the British company needs to make a few bob on each passport they produce & then of course the government will want their pound of flesh to boot! So all the people saying it's not right to produce our passport outside of UK are all going to be willing to dig deeper into their pockets & not be griping about the price hikes? Really ... ?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5455936/passport-price-increase-2018-march-cost-renew/

I agree the passport should be produced by a UK firm & I have no choice but to bite my tongue & accept the charges they demand. Because as a Brit living outside of the UK I "must" have a valid passport on hand to present to all & sundry who require me to do so as I go about my daily doings. At least within the confines of the UK Joe Public has the option of not having to purchase said document (just as long as they're prepared to stay within the bondaries of our green & pleasant lands).
 
you didn't need a passport until about 1921 I think. Until then they were reserved for diplomats. Prior to that you got a letter from the Home Office certifying you as British. doesn't quite match the little blue book though!
 
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