UK passport could turn dark blue after Brexit

[Aussie_Rail]

"The UK passport could turn dark blue again after Brexit under a £490m contract to redesign and produce a new version of the document.

The passport is routinely redesigned every five years and Eurosceptics view the new contract as a way to ditch the EU burgundy cover in favour of a return to the colour of the past."

Full article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/02/uk-passport-dark-blue-brexit-eu

What are your thoughts on this?

Australian passports are navy blue, I personally like having a burgundy UK one, sets them apart. I know that the old, old UK passports were navy blue and came with a sort of iconic cover, my parents still have the covers at home.

 

[DanNCL]

As nice as it would be to have blue passports again, I think that there are more important things that the government should be spending that money on instead. It would be much cheaper to simply remove the words "European Union" from the existing design, than to completely re-design it

 

[telstarbox]

As priorities go for the Brexit settlement it's not really up there is it?

 

[AlterEgo]

What’ll happen is they’ll redesign the passport for 2019, then the Queen will pop her clogs and they’ll have to redo it to account for the King’s crown on the cover.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Scum was all smiles about this, frankly, nothing-burger of a news story. That tells you all you need to know.

 

[Howardh]

Think passports will become a thing of the past, certainly around Europe, replaced by bio-technology. You can do all the stuff online once every ten years (unless you lose an eye or your fingerprints get altered due to a burn or whatever) and simply walk through as cameras scan you.

Anyhow, there are wallets/protective covers of any colour you can cover your passport with!

 

[HSTEd]

As nice as it would be to have blue passports again, I think that there are more important things that the government should be spending that money on instead. It would be much cheaper to simply remove the words "European Union" from the existing design, than to completely re-design it

Specifying 'blue' instead of 'maroon' is hardly likely to cost very much, even with the terrible design contracts we have now.

 

[najaB]

Specifying 'blue' instead of 'maroon' is hardly likely to cost very much, even with the terrible design contracts we have now.

Agreed, it won't add anything to the design costs. It really doesn't achieve much either other than giving Farage, et al. wood.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Oh wow, I give a ****.

Just to point out, the new passport will be the same except it won't be EU and it won't be burgundy. The burgundy I would further note is not an EU requirement, and passport rules are set worldwide by some quango in Canada.

If the Sun feel so in favour of the colour blue, why is their masthead red?

 

[47802]

I don't give a monkeys what colour the passport is, my current one is valid until 2026 and I have got no intention of changing it, and if there is some sort of intention to cut the validity date because it still says EU on then the Brexiters should pay for a new one.

 

[Mag_seven]

Great stuff we have got our Blue Passport back. Now we can admire it while standing in the "all other passports" queue whilst our European opposite numbers whizz through the "EU Passports" channel.

 

[Howardh]

Oh wow, I give a ****.

Just to point out, the new passport will be the same except it won't be EU and it won't be burgundy. The burgundy I would further note is not an EU requirement, and passport rules are set worldwide by some quango in Canada.

If the Sun feel so in favour of the colour blue, why is their masthead red?

Duno about anyone here, but I renewed my passport last year and the writing/photograph and all the gubbins is almost illegible. Think it's all so a computer can read it and it's tamper proof (yeah, right) but I have a feeling that at some remote border where the tech is a bloke with a badge and he can't see who I am. I know it's an old gag that your passport photo never looks like you, but really what we have now is a nonsense, you can hardly make out that it's a face, let alone mine. and that will be the same after Brexit, the insides and size won't change, not aftre the £m's spent to produce these new ones.

 

[Busaholic]

To someone like me who has colour blindness issues it might be pedantic to say this but the old passport was a Royal Blue colour rather than Navy Blue. I believe I have three old passports, each covering a decade of my life, up in my attic and, if asked to judge, I'd definitely say they were blue. Navy blue is virtually the same as black to me. so I suppose I see it in navy blue and white terms.

 

[Bedpan]

I must say my old one looks almost black (but probably navy blue). I don't recall ever having had a royal blue one though. I personally like the burgundy colour which is just as well as mine runs out sometime next year.

 

[zuriblue]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/944236561226485761?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https://s9e.github.io/iframe/twitter.min.html#944236561226485761

We could all agree to turn our passports blue by running towards them, thus saving a lot of hassle. Assuming the wavelength of a blue passport is 470nm, and red is 670 nm, I calculate a speed of 0.34c would do it.

 

[Busaholic]

I must say my old one looks almost black (but probably navy blue). I don't recall ever having had a royal blue one though. I personally like the burgundy colour which is just as well as mine runs out sometime next year.

I admit that I'm basing my assertion of royal blue on a radio interview this morning with the author of a book on the subject of the passport (I kid you not) and he definitely said the former U.K. passport was that colour and, as I've said, I'm not in a position to argue with him!

 

[birchesgreen]

I found my old one last night, it is a very very dark blue but you have to look very closely to see that and not think its black. If the new ones did look like that then it wouldn't be bad but this new colour they are proposing looks rather insipid.

 

[najaB]

If the new ones did look like that then it wouldn't be bad but this new colour they are proposing looks rather insipid.

Like many things Brexit, it's about returning things to an idealised version of how people remember things were rather than how they actually were.

 

[SS4]

The mockup looks like a second rate knock off of the USA. Kind of like May's vision for the country come to think of it

 

[thejuggler]

Of more concern is whether there is likely to be a requirement for paperwork before travelling as free movement ends. Possibly a US style ESTA and therefore more checks when at passport control.

For the family doing two weeks in the sun, probably not an inconvenience. For the thousands of hauliers who cross the channel every day, a few extra minutes per wagon soon becomes Operation Stack.

 

[fowler9]

Couldn't care less what colour my passport is as long as it gets me across borders. Sadly a lot of people in the country I come from would rather it was more like the local shop in League Of Gentlemen.

 

[Howardh]

Of more concern is whether there is likely to be a requirement for paperwork before travelling as free movement ends. Possibly a US style ESTA and therefore more checks when at passport control.

For the family doing two weeks in the sun, probably not an inconvenience. For the thousands of hauliers who cross the channel every day, a few extra minutes per wagon soon becomes Operation Stack.

There will be quite a storm when it happens, I would suggest mainly amongst Brexiters who voted for it. There's the cost and the bureaucracy to do it, but more significantly for Brits is the fact that the questions on the forms don't necessarily tie up with our needs - example, you have to give your first night's stay. So what of those on day trips? Also the first ones take 72 hours to process as I understand, that's if it runs smoothly. Rules out those "oh, let's hop on Eurostar" instant decisions which I'm sure those in the SE do frequently.
And thanks to Brexit, when we arrive we won't (as it stands now) be in the fast-track EU/EEA/CH lanes, nope, we will be "aliens" having to prove we have a right to be there. So the queues will be processed slower as everyone gets checked, and what are the chances there will be a problem with someone in front of you delaying you further?
But I hope that our dear Brexiters on their holidays won't stomach it and realise how much easier and better it was in the EU and change their minds. Maybe they might think haveing freedom of movement wasn't so bad after all?

Then, of course, we would introduce the same for EU's coming here. Many travel around with just an ID card. If they are subjected to filling in forms and obtaining visas (because despite the friendly name, that's what they are) at cost, they will simply not bother. Why should they when they can go shopping in the rest of Europe unhindered?

Those queues and hold-ups last summer are just a taste of things to come. It's the EU doing what we wanted it to do, keep out undesirables. Unfortunately that means holding us up too and the days of brushing aside foreign officials with our blue passports "we're British now stand aside" are, like the empire, long, long gone.

Only Britain could be stupid enough to vote to go beck to the dark ages. But the tougher it is, the more chance of The Will Of The People leading to a sharpish return.

 

[fowler9]

There will be quite a storm when it happens, I would suggest mainly amongst Brexiters who voted for it. There's the cost and the bureaucracy to do it, but more significantly for Brits is the fact that the questions on the forms don't necessarily tie up with our needs - example, you have to give your first night's stay. So what of those on day trips? Also the first ones take 72 hours to process as I understand, that's if it runs smoothly. Rules out those "oh, let's hop on Eurostar" instant decisions which I'm sure those in the SE do frequently.
And thanks to Brexit, when we arrive we won't (as it stands now) be in the fast-track EU/EEA/CH lanes, nope, we will be "aliens" having to prove we have a right to be there. So the queues will be processed slower as everyone gets checked, and what are the chances there will be a problem with someone in front of you delaying you further?
But I hope that our dear Brexiters on their holidays won't stomach it and realise how much easier and better it was in the EU and change their minds. Maybe they might think haveing freedom of movement wasn't so bad after all?

Then, of course, we would introduce the same for EU's coming here. Many travel around with just an ID card. If they are subjected to filling in forms and obtaining visas (because despite the friendly name, that's what they are) at cost, they will simply not bother. Why should they when they can go shopping in the rest of Europe unhindered?

Those queues and hold-ups last summer are just a taste of things to come. It's the EU doing what we wanted it to do, keep out undesirables. Unfortunately that means holding us up too and the days of brushing aside foreign officials with our blue passports "we're British now stand aside" are, like the empire, long, long gone.

Only Britain could be stupid enough to vote to go beck to the dark ages. But the tougher it is, the more chance of The Will Of The People leading to a sharpish return.

Yeah, I think some people who have never left the EU whilst traveling in it but voted leave will be in for a shock. They will of course stick their fingers in their ears shouting "Why can't it just be the same" and blame the EU.

 

[AndrewE]

Well said Howardh. It's a pity that amount of humble pie we shall have to eat to get back in will be shared out equally amongst us all! (In reality I bet it will be those least able to pay that will contribute most, as usual...)
At one point there was a mention of the possibility of UK citizens being able to buy dual (UK and EU) nationality... could I do it and get a new maroon passport when my current one expires (or in 2019 if necessary?)

 

[edwin_m]

Like many things Brexit, it's about returning things to an idealised version of how people remember things were rather than how they actually were.

And also that a lot of people agree on the principle, but there's no agreement on what the detail might look like.

If the new ones did look like that then it wouldn't be bad but this new colour they are proposing looks rather insipid.

I rest my case.

 

[NSEFAN]

Only Britain could be stupid enough to vote to go beck to the dark ages. But the tougher it is, the more chance of The Will Of The People leading to a sharpish return.

This mysterious freedom fighter known as "Will of the People" seems to be a lot like Robin Hood. He's held in high regard by many, but doesn't seem to really exist or do much when the going gets tough.

 

[bramling]

Like many things Brexit, it's about returning things to an idealised version of how people remember things were rather than how they actually were.

I must admit to not caring *that* much about the colour of the passport. However, there’s some nonsense going round that no one under 50 would have had one of the old ones. My household has someone in his early 30s with one for a start. FWIW the old ones, whether they’re black or dark blue were certainly more robust that the current rather flimsy ones.

Of course, the good thing many will see about new UK passports when they come is that they won’t automatically admit people from the whole of the EU club into the UK. I’m sure many will find even the price of a new passport worth paying for that.

 

[bramling]

Well said Howardh. It's a pity that amount of humble pie we shall have to eat to get back in will be shared out equally amongst us all! (In reality I bet it will be those least able to pay that will contribute most, as usual...)
At one point there was a mention of the possibility of UK citizens being able to buy dual (UK and EU) nationality... could I do it and get a new maroon passport when my current one expires (or in 2019 if necessary?)

Whatever one’s view on Brexit, any idea of rejoining is pretty much untenable due to the likely requirement to join the single currency. Most people agree we had a lucky escape from that at the time, and this is very likely to remain the case.

 

[Howardh]

Of course, the good thing many will see about new UK passports when they come is that they won’t automatically admit people from the whole of the EU club into the UK. I’m sure many will find even the price of a new passport worth paying for that.

And the EU won’t automatically admit people from the whole of the UK club into the EU. The price of the new passport is not worth paying for that.

 

[Howardh]

Whatever one’s view on Brexit, any idea of rejoining is pretty much untenable due to the likely requirement to join the single currency. Most people agree we had a lucky escape from that at the time, and this is very likely to remain the case.

If we HAVE to join the Euro when we rejoin - I suggest those who want Brexit but don't want the Euro should change their mind about Brexit sharpish so we remain in the EU but can keep Stirling. There is still the chance, however, that even though we leave nothing much will change and we can carry on as before - so why leave?
We simply don't know what the outcome will be, and that irritates me no end. We darned well SHOULD know by now.