The British company that makes UK passports had its hopes dashed today as the government confirmed it has chosen a foreign rival to produce the documents after Brexit.
The Franco-Dutch security firm Gemalto won the contract, the Home Office confirmed, with Britain’s De La Rue and a German company losing out. It is understood that Gemalto undercut the British company by £50 million.
EU procurement rules, which Britain must obey until after Brexit, prevent ministers from discriminating against European firms bidding for public contracts. The decision was the result of a blind tender, meaning that ministers were not allowed to know which firm had submitted which bid.
Martin Sutherland, chief executive of De La Rue, described the move as “disappointing and surprising” and said
