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[Sir Tigger KC]

I'm surprised nobody has brought this up yet! 

So it's been in the news that the next contract for printing UK passports has been won by a Franco-Dutch company, who apparently won it fair and square under EU state procurement rules.    It seems this company Gemalto outbid the British firm De La Rue by £120 million quid, which is a considerable saving for the taxpayer! 

However putting the inevitable hysteria of national humiliation aside and putting my tin foil helmet on, I reckon there is more to this than meets the eye. 

Firstly there is the possibility that De La Rue were complacent and assumed that they would get the contract, so loaded it up and are now crying foul! 

Secondly, Gemalto put in a low bid at break even or less to win the contract on a loss leader basis, hoping to win more business from HMG in the future. 

Thirdly, Gemalto is being clandestinely subsidised by the EU or French government to get the contract as a poke in the eye to the UK. 

Or is it simply a case of civil servants rigidly following EU rules and not learning anything from BREXIT, nor giving a toss for public opinion or the fact that their decision may entail job losses in the UK?   

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Difficult one this.

The Frenchies are clearly more competitive and as you rightly say £120 million isn't peanuts.

As we are leaving the EU with plenty of V signs I would have liked the contract to have gone to a British company.

Will the new passport have Made in France  stamped on it?

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'm surprised nobody has brought this up yet! 

So it's been in the news that the next contract for printing UK passports has been won by a Franco-Dutch company, who apparently won it fair and square under EU state procurement rules.    It seems this company Gemalto outbid the British firm De La Rue by £120 million quid, which is a considerable saving for the taxpayer! 

However putting the inevitable hysteria of national humiliation aside and putting my tin foil helmet on, I reckon there is more to this than meets the eye. 

Firstly there is the possibility that De La Rue were complacent and assumed that they would get the contract, so loaded it up and are now crying foul! 

Secondly, Gemalto put in a low bid at break even or less to win the contract on a loss leader basis, hoping to win more business from HMG in the future. 

Thirdly, Gemalto is being clandestinely subsidised by the EU or French government to get the contract as a poke in the eye to the UK. 

Or is it simply a case of civil servants rigidly following EU rules and not learning anything from BREXIT, nor giving a toss for public opinion or the fact that their decision may entail job losses in the UK?   

Is it a significant sum but also quite trivial when you consider the £350 Million EACH WEEK we will soon get back from the EU.  

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Difficult one this.

The Frenchies are clearly more competitive and as you rightly say £120 million isn't peanuts.

As we are leaving the EU with plenty of V signs I would have liked the contract to have gone to a British company.

Will the new passport have Made in France  stamped on it?

...or manufactured in the EU.

[redelitev6]

I'm surprised nobody has brought this up yet! 

So it's been in the news that the next contract for printing UK passports has been won by a Franco-Dutch company, who apparently won it fair and square under EU state procurement rules.    It seems this company Gemalto outbid the British firm De La Rue by £120 million quid, which is a considerable saving for the taxpayer! 

However putting the inevitable hysteria of national humiliation aside and putting my tin foil helmet on, I reckon there is more to this than meets the eye. 

Firstly there is the possibility that De La Rue were complacent and assumed that they would get the contract, so loaded it up and are now crying foul! 

Secondly, Gemalto put in a low bid at break even or less to win the contract on a loss leader basis, hoping to win more business from HMG in the future. 

Thirdly, Gemalto is being clandestinely subsidised by the EU or French government to get the contract as a poke in the eye to the UK. 

Or is it simply a case of civil servants rigidly following EU rules and not learning anything from BREXIT, nor giving a toss for public opinion or the fact that their decision may entail job losses in the UK?   

Is it a significant sum but also quite trivial when you consider the £350 Million EACH WEEK we will soon get back from the EU.

Keep telling yourself that for long enough and you might start to believe it 

[Sir Tigger KC]

I'm sure that HMG could have saved even more than £120 million if they'd given the contract to a Chinese company! 

After all, we're going to be outward looking Global Britain, rather than inward looking Little Europeans!   

What could possibly go wrong?!   

[TheBoy]

If they were the cheapest to provide the same product to the same quality and timescales, then its right they won it, irrespective of the hysteria of the conspiracy mob.


But when did common sense ever get in the way of those genuinely believing we'll be £350m a day better off

[Varche]

Due diligence?

£120 million difference?  I smell a rat.

[STEMO]

I must be the only one who couldn't give the tiniest shite then. 

[Keith ABS]

 French handling
Chinese paper
Russian ink
Dutch postage
That sound about right?

Keith ABS

[Sir Tigger KC]

French handling
Chinese paper
Russian ink
Dutch postage
That sound about right?

Keith ABS

You forgot Spanish practices Keith! 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I must be the only one who couldn't give the tiniest shite then. 

You don't need a passport to go from Barnsleywakefield to Liverpool. And no lengthy quarantine for the whippet.

[STEMO]

I must be the only one who couldn't give the tiniest shite then. 

You don't need a passport to go from Barnsleywakefield to Liverpool. And no lengthy quarantine for the whippet.

I see a whippet was champion of champions at Crufts. 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I must be the only one who couldn't give the tiniest shite then. 

You don't need a passport to go from Barnsleywakefield to Liverpool. And no lengthy quarantine for the whippet.

I see a whippet was champion of champions at Crufts. 

Yes....a good looking hound if a little on the skinny side.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I wonder if Pet Passports will be blue as well?   

[BazaJT]

Showing the EU that we're still willing to trade fairly with them even with Brexit?

[biggriffin]

French handling
Chinese paper
Russian ink
Dutch postage
That sound about right?

Keith ABS

Using a Bulgarian driver, in a Romanian registered truck, pulling a Belgian trailer, to deliver to the passport office, warehouse staffed by  members of the colonies, who haven't undergone a security check, and might sell the new passport's to family members back home.

[Kevin Wood]

French handling
Chinese paper
Russian ink
Dutch postage
That sound about right?

Keith ABS

Using a Bulgarian driver, in a Romanian registered truck, pulling drinking a Belgian trailer beer, to deliver to the passport office, warehouse staffed by  members of the colonies, who haven't undergone a security check, and might sell the new passport's to family members back home.

FTFY.

[biggriffin]

French handling
Chinese paper
Russian ink
Dutch postage
That sound about right?

Keith ABS

Using a Bulgarian driver, in a Romanian registered truck, pulling drinking a Belgian trailer beer, to deliver to the passport office, warehouse staffed by  members of the colonies, who haven't undergone a security check, and might sell the new passport's to family members back home.

FTFY.

That is very possible as well.

[aaronjb]

Gemalto. Ah, safe as houses then, what could go wrong..

It's not like they've been hacked by the NSA & GCHQ (and probably others) in the past, or anything

[alfie]

Why do it matter how much they cost, we the passport holders have to pay for them in the end.

[Doctor Gollum]

Why do it matter how much they cost, we the passport holders have to pay for them in the end.

That makes no sense.

You, being the Royal you rather than the personal one...

Would you, as a customer, pay twice as much to buy one just because it is produced in the UK?

No, you would bitch and moan about how expensive it is, whilst simultaneously pretending to be patriotic.

If the company producing them ends up losing money producing them, then that's their look out.