UK to get its iconic dark blue passport back in stunning Brexit victory for The Sun
The Government has agreed to our demand to scrap the EU’s burgundy model, enforced on the nation from 1988
BRITS will get their iconic dark blue passports back after Brexit, ministers announce today — in a stunning campaign victory for The Sun.
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: “One of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport.”
From the first day of Brexit, March 29 2019, burgundy-coloured new passports will still be issued, but no longer with any EU insignia on them.
And five months later in October - when the current passport manufacturers’ contract expires - all new British passports will be issued in the dark blue colour that was once famous across the globe.
In a second victory for The Sun’s determined 17 month campaign, the Home Office has also decided to hand over blue passports early.
At the moment, new passports can only be applied for once 10 year long current ones expire.
But in a special dispensation, any British citizen will be able to request to a new blue passport even if their old burgundy ones have many years left to run.
Revealing the decision, Mr Lewis told The Sun last night: “I recognise that for many people who voted in that referendum, they want to see things that are different.
“One of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport.
“ So from the first day we leave, new passports will look different and within five months they will be very different, because they will be dark blue again.” The cabinet minister added: “We wanted to return to the dark blue passport because we recognise the string attachment people had to it”.
The Sun also reveals the design for the new blue passports’ front page today.
The Queen’s ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’ crest will sit on its front in gold.
Inside pages will be adorned with patriotic background scenes from all four corners of UK.
The new blue passports will also be one of the most secure travel documents anywhere in the world.
A raft of cutting edge security features and technologies are being built into the design to guard against fraud and forgery.
They include polycarbonate pages, a double set of photos of the holder so they can be cross referenced, and a biometric microchip.
But they will cost exactly the same as the burgundy variants, which at the moment is £72.50.
Campaigning MPs who joined The Sun’s cause told of their delight last night.
Tory Michael Fabricant said: “Our passports are iconic of our national identity.
“They were going to have to be updated anyway with new security enhancements and to remove ‘Citizen of the European Union’ after Brexit.
“I am delighted that we will be reverting back to our blue colour which was changed when we all became citizens of the EU.
“I have told De La Rue who make our passports when I met them some months ago that I want one as soon it becomes available! I will, of course pay the standard Passport Office fee!” Three companies are bidding for the contract to manufacture them now, with the winner to be announced in the new year.
But as the tender must still be held under EU rules, the passports could still be made abroad by a foreign company.
But another backbench Tory MP expressed concern in the Commons yesterday that the new passports could be made in Berlin.
Mark Pritchard told the Commons that he understood the new UK passport could be "designed and printed" in Germany from 2019.
The Wrekin MP, during business questions, called for a debate on the matter.
The "Old Blue" passport was introduced in 1920.
Six years later the League of Nations — forerunner of the United Nations — described the elegant British design as "perfection itself".
But in 1981 — eight years after we joined the EU — Brussels demanded all member states should have a "European" passport within four years.
Britain resisted strongly until 1988. We were the last of the then EU nations to go burgundy.
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The change led to howls of protest in Britain and cost taxpayers £1.5million because a new printing line had to be built. In 2000 the UK had to fight off a plan to remove the Queen's crest from the passport and possibly introduce the 12-star EU logo on its cover.
And in 2007 Brussels tried to make our passports "more European" by removing the phrase "Her Britannic Majesty".
All EU countries except Croatia now use a burgundy passport.
SYMBOL OF SOVEREIGNTY
IN June last year, the British people made a clear choice: to take back control of our borders and our laws — and reclaim our rightful place as a sovereign nation once again.
As we now look forward with optimism to our future relationship with the EU, we are clear that we will make our own decisions as a proud, independent country forging a new role for ourselves in the world.
For many of us, being British is about our unique history and the common values that all UK nationals share. Little embodies our sense of national identity more than the small document each of us carries as we leave Britain’s shores to travel around the world.
The UK passport is an expression of our independence and sovereignty – a document that symbolises our membership of a proud, great nation. That is why, following The Sun’s campaign, I am delighted to announce that the British passport will be returning to the iconic blue and gold design after we have left the European Union.
For more than sixty years, Britons travelled the world on their blue passport.
It is only fitting that we no longer conform to the EU’s burgundy version once we leave the EU, but introduce a new blue and gold version available from the autumn of 2019. The new passport will also be one of the most secure and technologically advanced travel documents in the world.
All of this we will do at no extra cost to the taxpayer — and there is no need for current British passport holders to do anything now ahead of their current renewal date.
I hope Sun readers will agree this is a clear visual step in regaining our sense of sovereignty and standing tall in the world as a proud, independent Britain once more.