Daily Mail petition to have passports made in UK

There should have been a "g" on the end of manufacturin!

gillybob yes I agree we should ask questions about the disparity in the the contract bids, but it should be asked of both sides surely? Not just assume the non- British one has to be nefarious and not question why the the British one so much higher.
I'm not part of any gang btw.

We were asked to quote for some work in a large Polish manufacturing facility . When DH got the drawings for some of their machines the lack of any safety was alarming to say the least. Needless to say we declined to quote .

I"m not sure of the relevance of that experience to this discussion. Will the passport making machines be a threat to health and safety? Doesn't necessarily follow but I agree we should know. We should also be told how much profit De la Rue make. It's taxpayers money at the end of the day. French companies own our electricity, gas and railways etc I don't agree with that either. DM aren't running a petition on that are they?

I didn’t say you were part of any gang Gerispringer
The thing is though De La Rue have been printing our passports perfectly well for years . They developed a new security system ( hidden inside the passports ) now used worldwide .

It’s relevant because it would be easy for the French to undercut a U.K. firm if they were outsourcing to Poland where employment costs etc. are a fraction of ours .

They don’t even have the passport making machines yet which makes the price even more suspicious to me .

I have only just read through this thread and am amazed that some people are refusing to sign simply because the petition was started by the DM rather than trying to keep jobs in the UK.

I agree if De La Rue's passports are a superior product and worth the money we should know. If the French/Dutch company can produce as good a product at a much reduced cost to the taxpayer then I understand why they are given the contract. Same as with everything else that is sold off to foreign buyers.Its a pity but everything this government has done is about slashing costs, dismantling the state, selling the public sector to private companies.

I knew that would be the case when the thread started Oldwonan crazy innit ?

I doubt whether De La Rue’s passports would be superior . They developed the security that is now used worldwide so presumably by the French, Dutch etc. too.

The phrase "can't see the woods for the trees" comes to mind Oldwoman 70!

Welshwife
5 years in Bulgaria and spending a lot of time in Romania as we are involved with some orphanages there.
It was bad for some companies when they joined the eu as an awful lot of skilled people left for Western Europe.
And no, things haven't changed unless you count the men in sunglasses with no necks and shiny suits getting richer on our eu money.
The corruption is still off the scale: although I have to say it works both ways when you want something done

starts with a 'j'

and relax ,it appears the printer of the UK passports has a certain Mr George Osborne on its board ...surely you'll all be happy now ?

It isn't about trying to keep jobs in the UK, much as I'd support that. It's about governments and public services always having to go for the cheapest tender. Grenfell anybody?

The comparison is .... can't quite find the words, sorry.

And I'll remind you all again; they would have had to have done the same under WTO rules

And the reason they were the cheapest tender was ????

surely they have to for the same quality and specifications. Grenfell Tower cladding was clearly, and fraudulently, flammable - and this was more about FRAUD- very likely knowingly so...

Nobody will die due to colour of bl**dy passports or where they are made

I wonder what the comments would be if the petition had been started by the Guardian

In the unlikely event of the Guardian starting such a petition I think you mean.

It’s not that the DM started this petition. It’s far more than that. But if we have to explain why, then it’s pointless.

You’re wasting your time Oldwoman because OldMeg doesn’t explain her comments . She just throws them out and refuses to explain .

I thought that Brexit meant we were going to rely on market forces rather than being limited by EU rules and regulations. If market forces mean that passports produced in a foreign country are cheaper that's just how it is.