It was supposed to be a defining symbol of Britain’s identity post-Brexit — traditional, blue and embossed with a proud lion and unicorn crest.
But it has emerged the new British passport could be designed and made by a European company after two foreign firms were shortlisted for the £490m contract.
Insiders say the companies, believed to be French and German, will battle it out with the British private security company De La Rue to win the contract to produce 6m passports a year.
The Home Office is expected to announce the winner before Christmas.
The prospect of a European Union company winning the contract has left some Eurosceptic MPs seeing red. They were counting the days before ditching the burgundy-covered document introduced in 1988 to match the other EU countries.
Last night the Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said the proposal was bordering on the ridiculous: “While I want to see the government achieving the best value for money, it would be ludicrous if our passports were made in Europe.”
Andrew Rosindell, chairman of the parliamentary flags and heraldry committee, said: “I want to see the new British passport manufactured in Britain in a British factory employing British people because if it is not it rather defeats the objective of upholding British identity.”
The Home Office and De La Rue declined to comment.
