Boris Johnson has threatened to “privatize the Passport Service’s ass” if he fails to clear the gap and provide better value for money, a senior government source told reporters.
The prime minister also briefed the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and other free-hand bodies in comments to cabinet ministers, according to a source who attended Tuesday’s meeting.
There has been an unprecedented surge in demand since the removal of coronavirus restrictions, as 5 million people delayed renewing their passports during the pandemic.
According to EU travel rules after Brexit, UK citizens must have a valid validity of at least three months, which threatens to burden the system more.
This comes amid fears of the summer of chaos queuing for Brexit in Dover and concerns about routine flight cancellations.
Johnson is said to be “horrified” by the delay in processing passport applications and will call the management of the emergency number 10 agency next week.
He is said to be concerned that families who want to go on summer vacation are under pressure to pay up to £ 100 extra on a passport to apply quickly due to delays.
The source warned that privatization would not be a starting point, but warned that Downing Street could seek to run the business if passport managers fail to meet the 10-week target for standard applications costing £ 75.50.
It is also alleged that Johnson criticized the “culture of the maniac after Covid” in some of the authorities for not adapting after easing the restrictions on coronavirus.
In addition to the Passport Office, MEPs have expressed concerns about significant delays in processing DVLA license applications.
Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kay said it was “vital” that people could go on holiday this summer if the UK reintroduced restrictions on coronavirus travel.
“Usually the Passport Office is very smooth in processing passports. It’s really disappointing to hear [about delays].
“If it is not resolved, it will mean that people cannot get out.
After two years of blocking, we need to make sure that people can have a good holiday, because many of them have vouchers that they have saved, they have lifelong travel that they have postponed, and we do not know when things can be close again.
“Getting the most out of summer is vital,” he said.
On Monday, the Commons heard of a woman who had been waiting more than five months to receive her daughter’s new passport, and the services were labeled “either really very good or absolute ruin.”
SNP spokesman Stuart MacDonald said: “All our voters have to cancel holidays, miss funerals, reschedule visits, and even a new 10-week goal routinely fails.
“What will be done to avoid aggravating this predictable mess?” And can we be sure that the 10-week goal will not be extended as summer approaches?
Home Secretary Kevin Foster said: “We have no intention of further extending this standard.
“We are currently processing most passports well within it, but we would advise people that this is a very, almost unprecedented increase in demand, and if people plan to travel this summer, we would advise them to get their application as soon as possible.”
He said the Passport Office handled a million applications last month, up from 7 million a year before the pandemic.
Conservative MP Simon Hoare described the backlog as “unprecedented, true, but predictable, absolute”.
Sign up for the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am
The PCS union, which represents Passport Office and DVLA staff, said it was lagging behind due to staff shortages, mismanagement and failures with private contractors. The HMPO plans to hire 1,700 employees, up from 450 by the end of 2021. Only 300 were in place by the end of the year and they were employees of the agency, the PCS union said.
The union’s secretary general, Mark Servotka, said: “It is clear to our members that an important service such as the Passport Office must have adequate resources. It is absurd for Boris Johnson to threaten the privatization of the HMPO, as it is clear that the current problems are mainly due to increased negligence of the workforce.
“Many people are desperate to start traveling again, so I would call on the Home Office to fulfill its obligations to the public in the UK and adequately fund the service by bringing the whole process back home.
Add Comment