There has been a lot of talk about the change to blue passports recently with the government announcing the change from April 2019. I noted a seasoned xenophobic British traveller bitingly critical of the EU passport who didn't seem to realise the new one would be more or less identical except it wouldn't have the European Union on it - oh, and it will be blue. Amazing.
Much has been made about where the new document will be printed with some Brexiteers suggesting that EU rules prevent us awarding a contract to a British supplier without asking EU countries to tender. They think after Brexit we will be able to limit the tendering process to British companies only.
A surprise is waiting for them. The world has moved on since 1973. The WTO have an agreement (HERE) which provides for precisely the same anti competitive rule:
Recognizing that laws, regulations, procedures and practices regarding government procurement should not be prepared, adopted or applied to foreign or domestic products and services and to foreign or domestic suppliers so as to afford protection to domestic products or services or domestic suppliers and should not discriminate among foreign products or services or among foreign suppliers;
I don't believe being out of the EU will give us any benefits in favouring domestic suppliers at all. If we try to give our own manufacturers an advantage we will contravene a WTO rule. No doubt there will then be a referendum to pull out of the WTO and apply for membership of the ITL - The Intergalactic Trading League.
