Howls of outrage as post-Brexit UK passports to be made by French firm
London — The UK’s new blue, post-EU passports are set to be made by a Paris-based firm, the Daily Telegraph newspaper said on Thursday, in what leading Brexit supporters called a "national humiliation". The newspaper said the next contract to produce British passports would be awarded to Gemalto, while the head of UK manufacturer De La Rue said he had been told his company had lost out to the Franco-Dutch firm. De La Rue boss Martin Sutherland said it was "disappointing and surprising" that "this icon of British identity" would be manufactured by a foreign company. "We’ve had that confirmed to us by the home office," he told BBC radio in reference to the UK’s interior ministry, although the government said the process had not concluded. Sutherland said he wanted to invite British Prime Minister Theresa May to his factory and ask her to explain "why they think this is a sensible decision to offshore the manufacture of a British icon". The Daily Telegraph said Gemalto undercut other b...
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