UK passport could turn dark blue after Brexit

[edwin_m]

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.

When did it stop being possible to add children to parents' passports? I guess before then a child needing to travel without their parents would still have needed their own passport, but not many if it was still possible to use a parent's passport up to when blue ones stopped being issued in 1988. 50 does seem over the top for a cut-off, as many people born in 1967 would have travelled alone before reaching 21. I'm 52 and I don't remember when I first needed a passport but going by the expiry date on mine and when I first travelled alone I must have used a blue passport for at least 13 years.

One advantage of the "flimsy" format is that they tend to bend and return moreorless to the original shape, unlike the blue ones which tended to acquire a permanent crease in the cover if abused too much. However having just got a new one I find the photo page is no longer reinforced but is just the same as all the other pages, and I'm not sure how long that will last. None of this of course will change with the colour of the front cover, as it is defined either by international arrangements to make passports compatible or by how much the UK government is prepared to spend on (and charge for) a passport.

 

[bramling]

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.

... in your opinion. It seems many feel differently, rightly or wrongly.

 

[Howardh]

... in your opinion. It seems many feel differently, rightly or wrongly.

Well you can't have it both ways. If were to make it difficult for them to avoid neer-do-wells - except they can jog in across the Irish Border of course - then it will be equally as difficult for us. Do you think it will be any different?

As an aside, I wonder what people on both sides of the argument think a reasonable queue is at any airport r/e immigration control. The worst I have had in over twenty years travelling to the EU was around 15 minutes (Ibiza) and mainly because there was a non-European in front of us and there seemed a problem with his paperwork (hello, all that's to come...) whereas if I get through UK immigration in just 15 mins I'm skipping. In fact at Manchester I buy fast-track, the worst delay was just short of an hour.

Delays in returning to the UK aren't a Brexit/EU issue, just our sheer bloody incompetence and our unwillingness to offer the public a service,and throw money at it to do so. But if we are to tighten our borders (ha) just imagine how much longer it will take them to check us. they won't wave us through just because we look British. Might be quicker to fly to Dublin and go through immigration there and then catch a domestic back to the mainland. Rant over.

 

[northwichcat]

But if we are to tighten our borders (ha) just imagine how much longer it will take them to check us. they won't wave us through just because we look British. Might be quicker to fly to Dublin and go through immigration there and then catch a domestic back to the mainland. Rant over.

The EU doesn't prevent us from tightening our borders further, they set a minimum requirement for those arriving in the EU from outside the EU/EEA.

The UK is the only place where my suitcase has been able to reach the baggage reclaim area before me and that's happened on more than one occasion.

 

[Howardh]

The EU doesn't prevent us from tightening our borders further,

You try telling that to a Brexiter. And the only reason we don't have blue passports is because no-one bothered to ask for them to be blue, even though they could. Funny that, how no-one bothered because it wasn't important, yet now it's a matter of national pride that we can have something we could have had anyway, like tightened borders.
Brexit Logic 23.7(ii).

 

[northwichcat]

You try telling that to a Brexiter. And the only reason we don't have blue passports is because no-one bothered to ask for them to be blue, even though they could. Funny that, how no-one bothered because it wasn't important, yet now it's a matter of national pride that we can have something we could have had anyway, like tightened borders.
Brexit Logic 23.7(ii).

Yes. Instead of having red (as on the flags of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) we'll have blue (as on the flags of Scotland and the EU) and we'll also have the same colour passports as the EU member of Croatia, instead of the same colour as the non-EU member of Russia.

 

[fowler9]

One of the things I have found frustrating about Brexit is the amount of stuff we were free to do but didn't because the people who will still be in charge chose not to. We could have limited immigration, we could have had blue passports etc. etc.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Isn't it ironic that Brexiteers want a blue passport when the colour of the EU is.... blue!

 

[Howardh]

One of the things I have found frustrating about Brexit is the amount of stuff we were free to do but didn't because the people who will still be in charge chose not to. We could have limited immigration, we could have had blue passports etc. etc.

It actually shows how ignorant both sides were in the debate. Clearly the press haven't helped, hardly likely to be on the front page of the Mail that "hey, we can remain but still keep undesirables out" as it doesn't fit their agenda, but the blame must also lie with the EU and remain campaign just not shouting loudly enough. Instead of Cameron trying to get agreements from the Eu, he should have stood up in Parliament and pushed through what we already had but didn't use.
I think UKIP would quietly have walked away if Cameron had made a play on "oh look, blue passports again" or "we have stopped 1247 EU's arriving this month". As a remainer, I for one didn't know we could have had blue passports, although the colour didn't bother me one jot. Size does, the smaller the better so it fits into a pocket or wallet.

 

[fowler9]

You are right that there many things both sides didn't realise. It's a little more damning on the leave side.

 

[Robin Edwards]

It actually shows how ignorant both sides were in the debate. Clearly the press haven't helped, hardly likely to be on the front page of the Mail that "hey, we can remain but still keep undesirables out" as it doesn't fit their agenda, but the blame must also lie with the EU and remain campaign just not shouting loudly enough. Instead of Cameron trying to get agreements from the Eu, he should have stood up in Parliament and pushed through what we already had but didn't use.
I think UKIP would quietly have walked away if Cameron had made a play on "oh look, blue passports again" or "we have stopped 1247 EU's arriving this month". As a remainer, I for one didn't know we could have had blue passports, although the colour didn't bother me one jot. Size does, the smaller the better so it fits into a pocket or wallet.

I see things said and written from many who seem to assume much that was imposed on UK by an oppressive state yet clearly wasn't. It feeds the underlying ignorance and bigotry that runs through UK society that yes, the media also feed and the political parties who are in bed with the media, exploit to meet their agendas. I understand that of the laws passed by the EU over past 30+ years, our UK-elected MEPS have voted in favour of 96% of these laws and yet the kippers would want their followers to believe that we're the victim of imposed regulation that we didn't want. Meanwhile Farage takes his money from those he has worked to undermine over many years.

 

[northwichcat]

You are right that there many things both sides didn't realise. It's a little more damning on the leave side.

At least Remain try to sell their claims as predictions, whereas Leave tried to sell their claims as hard solid facts.

 

[edwin_m]

Perhaps we should make our passports out of litmus paper. Red for sour, blue for bitter.

 

[CarlSilva]

I also cant' give a 8888. Mine won't be going blue. It's going a funyy shade of green fron when it ran out in the mid 90s.

 

[EM2]

Meanwhile Farage takes his money from those he has worked to undermine over many years.

He won't accept a passport with European Union written on it, but will happily take a pension cheque with it on.

 

[northwichcat]

He won't accept a passport with European Union written on it, but will happily take a pension cheque with it on.

The EU should set up their own consumer bank and say EU pensions can only be paid in to EU bank accounts. Farage would then have to insert a card with the EU symbol in to a machine to get money out.

 

[Howardh]

What colour will the blue passport become bleached to if it's left out in the sun too long? Creamy light blue? As it happens I don't think defacing the front - accidentally or on purpose, makes the passport invalid, AFAIK even if the gold leaf motifs are worn it's what's inside that counts. Although scribbling on the front "up yours, Franco" might not have helped us get into Spain in the early 70's.

 

[furnessvale]

What colour will the blue passport become bleached to if it's left out in the sun too long? Creamy light blue? As it happens I don't think defacing the front - accidentally or on purpose, makes the passport invalid, AFAIK even if the gold leaf motifs are worn it's what's inside that counts. Although scribbling on the front "up yours, Franco" might not have helped us get into Spain in the early 70's.

As silly as you are trying to be, it is actually red based colours that fade more.

Therefore if both are left out in the sun, the Red EU passport will bleach into insignificance while the Blue Bulldog British one will remain steadfast and colourful.

See, I can be just as silly!

 

[Howardh]

As silly as you are trying to be, it is actually red based colours that fade more.

Therefore if both are left out in the sun, the Red EU passport will bleach into insignificance while the Blue Bulldog British one will remain steadfast and colourful.

See, I can be just as silly!

I'll try it and see! Still got the old style blue job in pretty good condition, and the EU one which recently expired - so I will put them side-by-side in the sun.
Oh, sun. Beggar. Living in Lancashire I can see a fatal flaw there. Might just have to take your word on that one

Anyhow as I alluded to earlier, passports should/will be replaced by biometrics soon, probably before the new ones expire; although whether that would clear the queues at Manchester is a moot point.

 

[furnessvale]

I'll try it and see! Still got the old style blue job in pretty good condition, and the EU one which recently expired - so I will put them side-by-side in the sun.
Oh, sun. Beggar. Living in Lancashire I can see a fatal flaw there. Might just have to take your word on that one

Anyhow as I alluded to earlier, passports should/will be replaced by biometrics soon, probably before the new ones expire; although whether that would clear the queues at Manchester is a moot point.

Born and brought up there but moved away years ago with work.

No sunnier in Derbyshire, but the red on my garden gate "Please Close the Gate" quickly faded.

 

[NSEFAN]

Therefore if both are left out in the sun, the Red EU passport will bleach into insignificance while the Blue Bulldog British one will remain steadfast and colourful.

See, I can be just as silly!

Indeed, the colour of the passports is a silly thing to generate so much wibble when the travel/work rights and trade agreements will affect us so much more.

We really are a country that's more obsessed with where it's been rather than where it's going.

 

[Busaholic]

Indeed, the colour of the passports is a silly thing to generate so much wibble when the travel/work rights and trade agreements will affect us so much more.

We really are a country that's more obsessed with where it's been rather than where it's going.

It's rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic while failing to notice the looming iceberg (actually, it's probably far, far worse than that, but I wouldn't like to be described as hyperbolic)

 

[AndrewE]

As silly as you are trying to be, it is actually red based colours that fade more!

That depends entirely on what pigments you are using. You might be correct, it could be that the safer (non-carcinogenic) red dyes/pigments now in use are less colour-fast than the currently-allowed blue dyes.

 

[Mojo]

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?

I don’t go on holiday in Europe outside the UK very often as I don’t normally find it particularly pleasant but when I have done there often isn’t a separate lane for EU/Common Travel area (or if there is there is advice from staff or signage to go anywhere). Went to Greece in the summer and the booth wasn’t even attended; a few people just walked into the baggage reclaim area with no check and then a man wearing his own (casual) clothes ran over and started checking on his own.

It also depends on the deal and what arrangements are made which we don’t know yet, other counties have arrangements like the Trans-Tasman deal between New Zealand and Australia.

Conversely, if there are no arrangements it would also mean reduced queues on arrival back in the UK, as fewer people would be using the lanes (not that there ever is much of a queue in the UK as we tend to be a lot more efficient and welcoming than many other places).

 

[AndrewE]

(not that there ever is much of a queue in the UK as we tend to be a lot more efficient and welcoming than many other places).

You haven't flown into Manchester then...
When it was mostly manual checks there was always a horrendous queue at immigration, now the queue is for the automated checks. Make sure you use a bog before you join the queue as you'll be there a long time, especially if a big plane-full has just arrived from Pakistan or somewhere similar.
It was so bad a couple of years ago that we swore we wouldn't fly abroad again; circumstances made us do it early in 2017 and it didn't change our minds...

 

[ooo]

Isn't it ironic that Brexiteers want a blue passport when the colour of the EU is.... blue!

Well, Guy Verhofstadt tweeted this great tweet

If we had known in advance that blue was so important to the UK, we could simply have replaced our passports by this one https://t.co/fnUiLowyq7

 

[fowler9]

You haven't flown into Manchester then...
When it was mostly manual checks there was always a horrendous queue at immigration, now the queue is for the automated checks. Make sure you use a bog before you join the queue as you'll be there a long time, especially if a big plane-full has just arrived from Pakistan or somewhere similar.
It was so bad a couple of years ago that we swore we wouldn't fly abroad again; circumstances made us do it early in 2017 and it didn't change our minds...

Was just about to say the same.

 

[Howardh]

You haven't flown into Manchester then...
When it was mostly manual checks there was always a horrendous queue at immigration, now the queue is for the automated checks. Make sure you use a bog before you join the queue as you'll be there a long time, especially if a big plane-full has just arrived from Pakistan or somewhere similar.
It was so bad a couple of years ago that we swore we wouldn't fly abroad again; circumstances made us do it early in 2017 and it didn't change our minds...

Indeed, all one has to do is to read the skytrax site to see how well loved Manchester is. http://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/manchester-airport/ for some light reading.
Seriously considering avoiding the place alltogether and training it down to London and getting my next flight from City.

You would have thought that the airport owners and shareholders might have twigged that if you are queuing at security or immigration, you aren't shopping. It's a pity that for most, there's no real alternative to Manchester as that's where the majority of destinations are reached from.

 

[najaB]

It's a pity that for most, there's no real alternative to Manchester as that's where the majority of destinations are reached from.

I'd go with "many" rather than "most" - there are an increasing number of destinations reachable from Edinburgh/Glasgow and Birmingham and, of course, there are few destinations served from Manchester that aren't also served from one or both halves of 'Heathwick'.