Post-Brexit passport colour ‘not important’ finds Shropshire Star poll
More than two thirds of Shropshire Star readers taking part in an online poll said the colour of their passport does not matter to them.
Immigration minister Brandon Lewis has announced that British passports will revert to their traditional blue and gold design after Brexit.
The Shropshire Star held an online poll on the subject and about 2,700 people have taken part.
The question 'Does the colour of your passport matter to you?' was asked and about 70 per cent of voters said no.
Dozens of people also posted comments about the issue on Facebook.
David Mark Roberts wrote: "As long as it still allows me to go on holiday I don’t care what colour it is.
"There’s more important things to worry about in this life then a colour of a passport!!"
Joseph Bowen said: "Really doesn’t bother me and I think people are just getting childish crying over a passport."
However, there were some comments in support of the proposed change.
June Spencer said: "It matters to me, Britain is red, white and blue for our union jack, so I want a blue passport with British citizen wrote on it not EU."
Many mourned the passing of the blue passports when they were replaced with a burgundy design in 1988 to bring the UK in to line with the rest of what was then the European Community.
However, once the UK has left the European Union, passports will no longer be required to conform to EU standards, and Mr Lewis announced a return of the navy blue design as a symbol of national identity.
He said the new blue passports would also be one of the most secure travel documents in the world with new features to protect against fraud and forgery.
The current paper-based picture page on the burgundy passports will be replaced with a new, super-strength plastic polycarbonate material that will be more difficult to alter.
The new blue passports will be issued from October 2019 to those renewing or applying for a new passport.
Passport holders do not need to do anything ahead of their current renewal date.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard has voiced concerns that the proposed new blue passports could actually be made in Germany.
He called for a parliamentary debate about whether the Government should adopt a “buy British” policy after hearing the new passports could be made abroad.
Mr Pritchard said the Government was at the moment considering tenders to produce the new passports, and said he was concerned that a German company could potentially get the contract.